Ways That Viruses Spread by Eric Koshinsky
For a virus or similar program to have any great impact it needs to be able to spread from one machine to another. They are specifically designed to get access to parts of your computer system that allow for communication with other machines. Below is a discussion of some of the most common... In such cases, the user of an infected computer unknowingly attaches an infected file to an email message, and then sends the email to a friend or colleague. ... These attacks AUTOMATICALLY scan your computer's files for any email address it can find and then uses your email application to...

AntiVirus Software - Why Your PC Needs It by Rick Hendershot
If your PC is connected to the internet for browsing the web or sending and receiving email, you need antivirus protection. This applies whether you have a dial-up connection or a high-speed connection such as DSL or cable. The very fact that you are connected to a public network along with... They are intentionally designed to run programs that damage important operating system files, and usually have some way of exploiting your email program to send the infected message to hundreds of others in your contact list.

Adware and Spyware Blockers by Gary Gresham
The most important things you can do for your computer right now is to install adware and spyware blockers. Everyone is aware of computer viruses and run an anti-virus program to guard your computer against them. But only a fraction of computer users are running any kind of adware and spyware... Adware and Spyware are less noticeable than computer viruses but can be much greater danger to your computer. ... Most of the time you are not aware that your computer is even infected. ... If your computer becomes infected, the results range from minor nuisances such as pop up ads to more serious...

Malware: The Enemy Within by Drew Pilton
Malware is now a common plague of computers these days and has become more common than the conventional virus. In this article you will find explanations of the different types of Malware, how to remove an infection and how to prevent an infection in the first. ... Symptoms of an infected computer: If your computer has displayed a considerable reduction in speed it could be infected with malware, it sometimes may even appear to pause or hang. ... Ransom Ware Ransom ware is used to extort money from the computer owner by locking up important files on your computer.

NCSA Study Shows Many Computers Lack Antivirus Protection by Eva Gibson
Even with the scads of information available, even with the numerous antivirus options available to consumers, and even though internet users are inundated with offers for antivirus and anti spyware programs, it seems that some people prefer to take their chances when it comes to infecting their... To be fair, the age of the browser might have something to do with the high instance of computer infection.The NCSA states that homes with children are more likely to have their computers infected by spyware or adware.

Why Stick With Email Clients Like Outlook? by Iulia Pascanu
Trying to figure out a stream in banning one email client or another is no easy job. As soon as somebody rises up saying Outlook is bad, somebody else comes saying it's good and the other one is bad. And the story goes on and on. On one hand, email clients like Outlook Express and (even more) MS... delete all your Outlook contacts in order not to become infectious for friends and clients in case your computer somehow got infected, ...then you know what it's like. ... That means I would never question about Microsoft Outlook being or not a good email client if it comes together with my...

Anti-Virus Software Fighting Back Against Computer Infections by Aurel Radulescu
Many computer users adopt the ‘it will never happen to me’ policy, but there are a number of computer viruses out there just waiting to infect and destroy the information contained on their hard-drive. This is why companies invented anti-virus software, which is a program that automatically... If a computer virus infects a computer, the owner may immediately lose everything in their computer and may be forced to use the factory restore disk. ... Computer viruses are typically attached to word processing documents, computer programs and images which, if downloaded, may instantly affect the...

Why Should You Worry About A Malicious Code? by Johan Tengstrom
A malicious code can be a program. It can also be a part of a program. Further a malicious code can attach itself to a good program. In that way the malicious effect occurs first when the good program runs. The last time you installed a large software, let us say a photo program, you just... Of course you cannot know which sources are infected, the best advice I can give you is to expect that any outside source is infected. ... It can write a message on the computer screen, erase a stored file or stop a running program.

Viruses and Malicious Software - How to Protect Your Computer by Eldon Martin
Malicious software, or malware, is likely the most widespread problem faced by computer users today. As a computer technician, I find that about three out of four jobs I do for home computer users are to remove malware in one form or another. Malware programs come in several forms: Spyware and... 2.The email contains a personal message that describes the attachment and makes it clear the message was written by the person it appears to be from. ... Your computer will not be infected unless you make the mistake of attempting to open the attachment.

Keep Your Computer Virus Free by Jesse S. Somer
Getting a virus means getting sick and no one in their right mind wants to be ill. Well, now that computers have become our close friends, it’s a shock to learn that foreign bodies too can invade them with malicious intent. No, your computer doesn’t get a runny nose or diarrhea. ...   Next, read the cover message, you can’t catch the disease without actually opening the message. ... Even if it’s from someone you know, be careful as their computer could be infected and the virus being transmitted without their knowledge.