- There are many different types of malicious software, or malware. During the early days of the Internet, most viruses simply deleted files from the computer or did some sort of damage to the operating system to annoy the user. Today, most malware is created to steal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers and banking information.
- Malware can spread itself between computers in multiple ways. The most common ways malware spreads itself is by sending infected to files to others, usually through email, or by exploiting unpatched security holes in operating systems to infect computers without any user intervention at all.
- Antivirus programs are able to scan your computer for infected files by matching them with a list of known viruses. When one is found, the antivirus software is able to disable it and then either quarantine the file, preventing it from running, or delete it. Antivirus programs also often come packaged with a firewall, which helps block connections from other infected computers across the Internet.
previous post
next post