A program that replicates itself, and in so doing resembles a biological virus, by attaching to other programs and carrying out unwanted and sometimes damaging operations. Although some viruses are relatively benign and are little more than pranks, most are written with malicious intent; at the extreme, they can wipe out all the contents on a computer’s hard disk.
Viruses fall into three general categories: boot sector viruses, file viruses, and macro viruses. Boot sector viruses attach themselves to the hidden boot sector of a floppy or hard disks so that they can enter the computer’s memory when the system boots. File viruses attach themselves to executable files so that they can spread when the infected program is launched. Macro viruses take advantage of the scripting languages built into popular applications, especially Microsoft Office. See boot sector virus, macro virus, Trojan horse.
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Technipages Explains Virus
A virus is a software program created by a person that replicates between computer systems causing restrictions in computer operations or carrying out unwanted activities of its own accord. The first computer virus ever released was in 1971, and it was written as an experimental self-replicating virus, it is called “Creeper system,” its task was to fill up a computer hard drive until computer operations on the computer was no longer possible.
At the inception of virus programming, the only means of propagation was through the exchange of storage devices such as floppy disks, the aim of exchanging storage devices is mainly to share data or computer software. With the advent of the internet, a better propagating platform is now made available for Virus programmers. A sure way to stay safe from viruses would be to refrain from opening or executing any attachment on an e-mail and also installing and running anti-virus packages.
Common Uses of Virus
- A virus is a self-initiating software package written with the intent of causing abnormalities in the operation of a computer system
- Computers are now at higher risks of virus infestation as virus programmers now utilize the internet by sending corrupted emails to unsuspecting people.
- A virus starts operation from the moment a corrupted file is opened, till it infiltrates other parts of the computer like the program and packages
Common Misuses of Virus
- A virus spreads by the use of scanners as it also involves the transfer of files between a network of computers
- A virus can infect hardware such as the keyboard, mouse, monitor, and text-based messages