Computer Virus & Its Prevention Using Antivirus Software

 

Computer Virus & Its Prevention Using Antivirus Software

 

Who has not suffered at home or at work the consequences of a computer virus? But what exactly is it? What types of computer viruses are there? A computer virus is a program designed to infect files of all kinds and conditions. The degree of attack can be of various kinds, from attacks that cause minor damage to viruses that destructively infect files, sometimes being partially or totally irreparable.

Is it possible to avoid or prevent them? Yes. With some basic security measures, it is possible to avoid many of them, although sometimes, the cybercriminals who create these viruses are one step ahead of those who develop software to protect our devices. Depending on the type of virus, it will be easier or more difficult to detect.

Origin of computer viruses

One of the earliest known dates of the beginning of computer viruses dates back to 1959 at the BELL Computer laboratories. At that time, 3 programmers, based on a theory of automata capable of reproduction, devised a program in which several containers executed orders, and the first one to consume the memory of the computer was the one that won. It was not really about creating a harmful resource, but rather it is the result of a normal evolution of computer research.

Types of computer viruses

Some people talk about worms, time bombs, Trojans ... but it is not the correct typology when it comes to classifying the different types of computer viruses. These terms refer to the type of damage that malware or virus generates, while they must be classified according to their method of action. More rigorously, the classes of viruses that exist are the following:

·         OVERWRITE VIRUS

They write on top of the existing data on our computer and infect files, leaving part or all of it unusable.

·         DIRECT-ACTING VIRUS

They require a previous execution action, after which, once activated, the virus begins to replicate and act by infecting the files it encounters.

·         MEMORY RESIDENT VIRUS

They are housed in the RAM memory of the device, activating each time the equipment starts up.

 

 

·         FAT VIRUS

It is a very dangerous virus, since it can affect important parts of our main hard drive, and may even leave it useless or seriously damaged.

·         BOOT SECTOR VIRUS

It is also extremely dangerous, since it affects the system that starts the equipment.

·         WEB SCRIPTING VIRUS

They are viruses that infect website code for negative purposes (spamming , for example).

·         POLYMORPHIC VIRUS

The biggest headache of any antivirus on the market. These viruses mutate, they are periodically encrypted in a different way, which makes them extremely difficult for any antivirus to detect.

Is it possible to avoid them?

The main infection ports through which attempts are made to introduce all types of computer viruses are usually social networks, P2P networks, websites indicated with high risk and that may be fraudulent, external devices infected by a virus (USB, DVD, CD …), Email spam with executable attachments and specific web pages that, while legitimate, may have suffered a virus infection.

Having a powerful antivirus, having updated software and systems, avoiding entering or giving personal data on unsafe sites ... (all those that do not have “https” in their url) are some basic security measures that we can take to prevent these computer viruses.

It is also important to carry out an annual computer review, to know the status of your equipment and obtain advice on how to protect it. However, these measures do not guarantee to avoid being infected by any of the powerful viruses that exist today.

In the case of a company, where it is important to protect sensitive data belonging to customers, it is essential to have cyber risk insurance that takes care of everything in times of crisis. Get informed!