Computer viruses can be devastating. Viruses share quite a few
characteristics with their real-life namesakes. Your PC can become in
infected a number of ways, and depending on the type of viruses a user
can experience anything from a small degradation in performance, to key
loggers which aide in identity theft, to infections that cause massive
data loss, sometimes deleting the entire content of a hard drive. On top
of the damage and frustration, the computer repair services to
disinfect a system can be expensive. Computer repair experts warn that
no one operating system or type of computer is immune to a computer
virus, some viruses also have specific targets: consumers,
industrial/commercial companies and even governments. Sasser, a computer
virus created by a German teen, invaded the British Coast Guard’s
computers, caused the cancellation of flights and racked up $500 million
in damages. This virus was the least costly in the list of the top ten
worst viruses ever.
Over 50 percent of computer users and 30 percent of households will experience some type of malicious computer intrusion. You can minimize your risk by knowing the symptoms of a computer virus and taking the steps to prevent them.
The following are common ways that computers contract viruses and how you can avoid them:
Don’t open any emails from individuals or companies you do not know especially if they contain attachments. If you receive an unexpected email from a friend that has an attachment, don’t open the email until you verify that your friend really sent you the message.
Since you never know if your favorite site was hit with malware, the best protection comes in the form of strong, updated antivirus and anti-spyware programs. When you use the Internet, be smart about the hyperlinks that you click. If a link seems fishy or leads to a site that you’re unfamiliar with, don’t click on it.
Over 50 percent of computer users and 30 percent of households will experience some type of malicious computer intrusion. You can minimize your risk by knowing the symptoms of a computer virus and taking the steps to prevent them.
Signs of a Computer Virus
Worsening or Unusual Computer Performance
If you notice your computer’s performance slowly degrading, don’t automatically blame its age. Viruses drain CPU resources and cause tasks to take longer to perform. Most viruses will also use network bandwidth to replicate themselves to other computers, causing slower internet speeds and sometimes trouble accessing files over a network. Strange behaviors, like constant crashes or blue screens may also be a sign of a virus.Starting Up Takes Forever
If you haven’t made any major modifications to your computer (like installing a new program) and it takes a long time to start up, the culprit could be malware that’s booting up with your system. Have a computer repair shop take a look at your startup configurations to see if this is the case.Pop-Up Ads Appear All the Time
Modern browsers have pop-up protection components that help keep the nuisance ads away. If you configure your browser settings correctly and see pop-up ads even when you’re not surfing the Web, you may have a virus. Another telltale sign is if your browser automatically redirects you to specific webpages.Magically Appearing Toolbars and Tray Icons
You may have a toolbar appear every once in a while when you update a program on your computer and forget to uncheck the box that asks you if you want to install a partner’s toolbar. On the other hand, your computer may be infected with malware or a virus, especially if you see tray icons that you didn’t install. A lot of malicious software will piggy back on seemingly legitimate software as a ways to prevent detection.Scary Messages Appear on Your Computer
Some viruses prey on your paranoia or ignorance. If you see a popup that doesn’t look like a standard message from your computer warning you of a computer virus, it’s probably a virus that’s sending you the message. Clicking the message and following the instructions will only let the virus lose. Other messages may look like warnings from a law enforcement agency stating that you performed an illegal action on your computer and must pay a fine or risk jail time. This type of virus is a scam.People Get Strange Emails from You
When your friends, family members and/or coworkers tell you that they received a strange message from that you don’t remember sending, especially those related to pharmaceutical products, or other heavily discounted products there’s a good chance that your computer is infected.How to Avoid Viruses and Computer Repairs
Computer repair services share that it takes more than an antivirus to keep your computer safe from intruders. The most common form of malicious attack comes in the form of spam emails, followed by viruses and spyware. Trojans remain the most common type of malware threat at 80.77 percent. Worms, viruses and adware/spyware make up the rest of the intruders.The following are common ways that computers contract viruses and how you can avoid them:
Infected Emails
About 89 percent of all emails have malware in them. While this number seems high, consider the number of unwanted message you weed out of your inbox and those that automatically go to your spam folder.Don’t open any emails from individuals or companies you do not know especially if they contain attachments. If you receive an unexpected email from a friend that has an attachment, don’t open the email until you verify that your friend really sent you the message.
Surfing the Web
About 100,000 to 300,000 websites get infected with malware every day. Sites that are most vulnerable to these attacks are entertainment sites, search engines, social networks and those with adult content.Since you never know if your favorite site was hit with malware, the best protection comes in the form of strong, updated antivirus and anti-spyware programs. When you use the Internet, be smart about the hyperlinks that you click. If a link seems fishy or leads to a site that you’re unfamiliar with, don’t click on it.
