Essential Guide to Computer Virus in 2021 | Free Antivirus

Steal personal information, harm your computer's performance, wreak havoc ... Viruses can do it all. Against viruses, your best defense is prevention. Keep reading this article to learn more about the best ways to defend yourself against this insidious type of online attack.

What is a computer virus?

A lot of information (true or false) circulates online about the term "virus", so we might as well get things straight and give a definition of the term once and for all: a computer virus is software or a piece of malicious code that Automatically replicates and surreptitiously infiltrates your device without your permission.

Some viruses are just annoying, but most of them are destructive and aim to infect and take over your devices. A virus can spread between computers and networks by self-reproducing, just as a biological virus passes from person to person.

What is the difference between viruses and malware? We tend easily to use the term "virus" to refer to any dangerous software, whereas a virus is nothing more than a category of malware (malicious software), which includes all types of code created to harm. . Besides viruses, there are other types of malware to beware of.

How do computer viruses work?

The term "computer virus" is an umbrella term that includes many different types of viruses, mechanisms of distribution, and effects. By defining exactly how viruses work, it is possible to divide them into two categories: those that infect and start reproducing as soon as they enter your computer and those that remain inactive and wait for you to activate them (for example by executing their code unintentionally).

Viruses go through four evolutionary phases (inspired by the life cycle of viruses described by biologists).

• Inactive phase: the virus remains hidden in your system, waiting.
• Spread phase: The virus begins its attack: it reproduces itself and places copies of itself in files, programs, and other parts of your disk. Clones can modify themselves slightly to avoid detection and will in turn self-reproduce, resulting in the reproduction of new clones, and so on.
• Trigger phase: a specific action is usually required to trigger or activate the virus. This can be a user action, such as clicking an icon or opening an application. Some other viruses are programmed to come to life after a certain period of time, for example after your computer has restarted ten times (the purpose of this practice is to hide the origin of the virus).
• Execution phase: the “show” begins. The virus releases its payload, the malicious code that harms your device.

How are computer viruses spread?

Computer viruses have several mechanisms of spread through the Internet. Viruses are likely to enter your computer by the following means:

• Email: A preferred method for cybercriminals, email can also transmit harmful attachments (in the form of executable files in . EXE or . ZIP format ) or malicious links, or even contain a source of infection directly within the body of the message via HTML.
• Downloads: Hackers can hide viruses in apps, documents sent through a file-sharing service, plugins, and any other location where files are available for download.
• Messaging services: Viruses can be spread through SMS messages or messaging services such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram. In this case, like emails, they take the form of malicious links, attachments, and executable files.
• Old versions of software: If you haven't updated your applications or operating systems for a while, vulnerabilities are certainly present and cybercriminals will be more than happy to exploit them to introduce viruses.
• Malvertising: Viruses can be hidden in online advertisements, such as banner ads. What makes malvertising extremely dangerous is the fact that criminals can hide their malicious code even in trusted websites such as The New York Times and the BBC, both of which have been hit by this scourge.

Fortunately, there are some easy ways to protect yourself from these attack vectors that we'll look at next.

What do computer viruses do?

When it enters its execution phase and releases its payload, a computer virus launches its attack and you will start to feel the negative effects on your device. The virus takes control of your system's code and resources to reproduce itself, which is why you may have difficulty during this phase. Beware of the effects described below:

• Exasperating slowness
• Missing or compromised files
• Pop-ups that keep appearing
• The hard drive that runs at full speed all the time
• Software or the operating system that keeps crashing or crashing

Certain operations are performed for an apparent reason, for example, applications open on their own or new files appear randomly

In addition to performance issues, viruses can also be the cause of the theft of sensitive personal data such as usernames, passwords, and credit card information. Some viruses can spam all of your contacts and try to convince them to take some action that will introduce the virus into them, which is another way of spreading.

How to avoid the latest threats from computer viruses?

Like any other type of malware, prevention is the best treatment. Good browsing habits keep you safe from the latest threats from computer viruses. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Beware of everything: Beware of promotions, links, and attachments that you didn't expect in your emails and messages in general.
• Buy only genuine: Avoid pirating media files like music or movies from file-sharing platforms. You can never be sure of anything when you download a file from an unverified source.
• Be careful even when shopping at well-known stores: Both Google Play Store and Apple's App Store monitor their app security very closely, but sometimes some malware sneaks in and manages to infect a few devices before to be deleted. Make sure an app is safe before downloading it.
• Ignore Ads and Pop-ups: Fraudulent ads can infiltrate viruses or other forms of malicious code into advertising messages and therefore it is best to never click on online ads. If any of the featured products interests you, go directly to the company's website.
• Install Updates: The only pop-ups you shouldn't ignore are notifications of updates to your operating system or other software. These updates often include security fixes that fix the vulnerabilities, so it's important to apply them immediately.

Add an extra layer of protection: No matter what your skill level, viruses can still slip through your fingers. Reinforce your line of defense with the help of a powerful Free Antivirus which will act as a security barrier and block viruses before they even come near your system.