Computer Viruses

By Kevin Chua

google_protectAndRun("render_ads.js::google_render_ad", google_handleError, google_render_ad);


Computer viruses have become more and more malicious. In fact, nowadays, with programming tools available off the net and in the stores, anyone could write a small computer program to create a virus. Originally, viruses were written to test loopholes in computer systems. As time went on, some smart hackers discovered that it could also be used to snoop into home users' personal computers and cause massive destruction to computers.It appears that there is no way anyone could stop viruses from being created. There are thousands of viruses (including varients) out there, and each day, someone somewhere is creating a virus.

As computer sers, we need to know how to avoid viruses from getting into our precious data.Invest in a good virus scanning and cleaning software. There are many brands in the market; some even offer free yearly updates, while others need annual subscriptions for updates. Get either one, and do ensure that the virus database is updated regularly (once a month, at least). Trying to save some cash by not updating could be the most foolish thing to do.The most important lesson to learn in this century is that viruses spread even more quickly through the internet. As such, it is vital that prior installing programs into our hard disks, we should have the program scanned by a virus scanner.

Also, be careful of the source of the download. Do not download from a website that you're suspicious of, or from an unknown website. Our e-mails are very vulnerable to attacks by Trojans. The trojans reveal themselves as e-mails from friends whom you know, but contain attachments that could wipe out your entire hard disk if you open the attachment. The safest bet is, if you see an attachment from your friend, check out the name of the attachment. If it ends in *.exe, or *.pif, or *.vbs, there's a high possibility that a virus is present in the attachment. Delete them immediately. The virus scanner will not be able to detect the virus if the database has not been updated.You need to borrow a disk from your friend? Be extra careful. Don't take things for granted; just because your best friend is trustworthy, it doesn't mean the disk is free from virus. Your friend might not even know that his own computer has been infected by virus. So, please scan your disks before you open the document.What happens if your computer has been infected, and your virus scanner has failed to detect it? Well, some viruses are more forgiving.

You might surf the website of the antivirus software vendor and try to see if there are ways to clean that virus. If there are, then you're lucky. Otherwise, you'll have no choice but to format the entire hard disk while losing all your data.How do we know if our computer has been infected by viruses? In most cases, you don't...until it's too late. Some viruses will give you symptoms of an infection. For example, if your computer slows down suddenly, or if you keep getting error messages, or if your screen displays some weird messages, then there's a possibility that you have a virus in there. You might want to take your computer to the shop to identify the problem. Not all these symptoms are caused solely by viruses. Some are probably due to hardware failure. Owning a computer is like owning a car. You've to be able to know the difference in performance.