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The Next Thing to Immediately Do About What is a Computer Virus?

Computer Virus

What is a Computer Virus?

Almost everyone has heard of the term computer virus these days.
But what exactly is it, a computer virus? How do you imagine a virus on a computer?

First of all, a computer virus is just a piece of software, nothing more than a few lines of code written in some programming language. So it’s a small program, and from that perspective, it’s not that different from thousands of other programs.

However, the virus was written with a completely different intention, namely to cause damage and multiply on the PC. The difference, in this case, is not in the form, but in the function.

There are thousands of computer viruses out there today and their effects can vary widely. What happens on the PC after an infection depends on the computer virus.

Usually, the virus first settles in the system. Then it tries to reproduce itself, it actually copies itself. It writes itself to different folders or attaches itself to files that already exist, so it infects these files. The computer virus often tries to camouflage itself, it hides in the system and in files so that the anti-virus software does not detect it. Only then does the pest begin its actual task. Sometimes these tasks are harmless and just for fun, but most of the effects are more serious. Some viruses delete certain files or even the entire hard drive, others render certain programs unusable or infiltrate and infiltrate the operating system until it can no longer start.

Many computer viruses have a propagation mechanism. It not only copies itself to your own PC but also tries to infect others by attaching itself to e-mails, copying to CD and floppy disks, etc. This of course all happens as inconspicuously as possible so that the user does not notice anything.

If a computer is not adequately protected against computer viruses, an infection will only be noticed when it is already too late. This means that important data can be irrevocably lost.

Taking precautions, securing your own PC, is therefore definitely the order of the day.