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No one enjoys being sick. When you’re suffering from a cold, there’s no way you can operate at 100% It might sound silly, but your computer can catch a cold just like you. OK, maybe not exactly like you—you won’t give your computer a virus by sneezing on your keyboard, but there are similarities. Computer viruses have the “virus” name because they resemble illnesses in the way they infect a system. Doctors can usually diagnose a virus based on symptoms exhibited by the body. IT professionals can do the same with computers. Typical signs of computer virus infections include:
Most people know how to prepare for cold and flu season: wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough, cover your nose when you sneeze, get plenty of rest, and avoid people who might be sick. It’s something we learn from a young age. We know to take these precautions, because we know how humans contract viruses. In the same vein, when you understand how viruses infect computers, you can take better preventative measures to prevent viruses and identify a virus before it rages out of control. Here, we illustrate how you can recognize nine common computer viruses.
Resident viruses set up shop in your RAM and meddle with your system operations. They’re so sneaky that they can even attach themselves to your anti-virus software files. 2. Multipartite VirusThis virus infects the entire system – multipartite viruses spread by performing unauthorized actions on your operating system, folders, and programs. 3. Direct ActionThis virus targets a specific file type, most commonly executable files (.exe), by replicating and infecting files. Due to its targeted nature, this virus type is one of the easier ones to detect and remove. 4. Browser HijackerEasily detected, this virus type infects your browser and redirects you to malicious websites. 5. Overwrite VirusAs the name implies, overwrite viruses overwrite file content to infect entire folders, files, and programs. 6. Web Scripting VirusThis sneaky virus disguises itself in the coding of links, ads, images, videos, and site code. It can infect systems when users download malicious files or visit malicious websites. 7. File InfectorBy targeting executable files (.exe), file infector viruses slow down programs and damage system files when a user runs them. 8. Network VirusNetwork viruses travel through network connections and replicate themselves through shared resources. 9. Boot Sector VirusOne of the easier viruses to avoid, this virus hides out in a file on a USB drive or email attachment. When activated, it can infect the system’s master boot record to damage the system. The key to protecting yourself from computer viruses is having multiple layers of cybersecurity defense. Having a firewall or anti-virus is a great start, but it isn’t a comprehensive solution. There are multiple layers to consider in a cybersecurity plan, like user education, endpoint detection and response (EDR), DNS filtering, and more. Learn more about the 11 layers of cybersecurity. Your individual solution will depend on factors like the size of your business, industry, organization type, and long-term business goals. The easiest way to illustrate multilayered computer virus protection, is by imagining each individual layer of cybersecurity as a slice of swiss cheese. Each slice has a few holes in it, and as you stack slices on top of one another, you cover up the holes. Download the Essential Business Guide to Cybersecurity. Have you been noticing symptoms of a computer virus lately? Are you looking to reevaluate your current cybersecurity solution? We can help.
A computer virus is a malicious application or authored code used to perform destructive activity on a device or local network. The code’s malicious activity could damage the local file system, steal data, interrupt services, download additional malware, or any other actions coded into the program by the malware author. Many viruses pretend to be legitimate programs to trick users into executing them on their device, delivering the computer virus payload.
Every computer virus has a payload that performs an action. The threat actor can code any malicious activity into the virus payload, including simple, innocuous pranks that don’t do any harm. While a few viruses have harmless payloads, most of them cause damage to the system and its data. There are nine main virus types, some of which could be packaged with other malware to increase the chance of infection and damage. The nine major categories for viruses on computers are:
Computer viruses are standard programs; only instead of offering useful resources, these programs can damage your device. For a threat actor to execute a virus on your machine, you must initiate execution. In some cases, an attacker can execute malicious code through your browser or remotely from another network computer. Modern browsers have defences against local machine code execution, but third-party software installed on the browser could have vulnerabilities that allow viruses to run locally. The delivery of a computer virus can happen in several ways. One common method is via a phishing email. Another technique is hosting malware on a server that promises to provide a legitimate program. It can be delivered using macros or by injecting malicious code into legitimate software files.
Computer viruses can damage your PC, send sensitive data to attackers, and cause downtime until the system is repaired. You can avoid becoming the next computer virus victim by following a few best practices:
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