What are computer viruses, and how to protect your computer against them?

computer viruses. Perhaps while you are using any application or program on your computer or downloading files via the Internet, you will be surprised to find that the computer’s security systems are warning you that there is a virus on your device.

 After that, you will notice strange and unusual activity on your device, and several other problems will appear because of this virus. What are computer viruses, why are they considered dangerous, and how do we protect computers from them? We will discuss all of this in this topic.

computer viruses

Definition and concept of computer viruses?

Viruses or computer viruses are considered one of the types of malicious programs that are designed and given the ability to crawl and move from one computer to another. These malicious programs (viruses) cause great damage and wreak havoc on the contents of the computer such as information, files, data, etc.

These programs (computer viruses) may cause damage to the contents of computers or perhaps even to the systems that operate them. This harmful program or virus can move between different computers.

 where it can attach itself to a specific program or file and remain in a dormant state until the appropriate conditions are created for it, it executes the programming commands on which it was designed, which will cause the process of infecting the device with the virus.

Any virus can copy itself into several other copies, and therefore when you run any program infected with a virus, the virus becomes able to move to other programs and files on the computer.

The reason for giving the computer viruses this name

The reason the virus is given this name is that it can move quickly between different devices and files, just like viruses that infect the body of a living being and move quickly, causing health problems and weakening the body. As soon as any file or any program on the computer is infected with any type of malicious software or virus, the infection spreads quickly and causes infection of the rest of the files and other healthy programs.

For any program to be classified as a computer virus, the following two conditions must be met:

• This program must have the ability to copy all its commands and code in several places and in different parts of the computer.
• Viruses can execute the programming commands that belong to them instead of executing the commands of the programs in which they are present. Therefore, for any program to be called a virus, it must be able to execute itself automatically through the computer.

 

How does the computer viruses work?

For the virus to start its work on any device, appropriate conditions are required, as when the virus successfully embeds itself in any program or file inside the computer, this virus remains inside the file statically without showing any signs of symptoms or infection of the device.

Once the virus-infected program is run, this virus automatically begins executing all the instructions of the virus program instead of the instructions of the program to be run. The virus then begins to move from one device to another and from one file to another on the network, disabling program instructions and replacing them with its own instructions (the instructions for the malicious program itself).

 

Common characteristics of computer viruses

Many characteristics distinguish viruses from each other and from other harmless programs, which we summarize as follows:

1. The ability to hide and change its external appearance according to the variables surrounding it.
2. It has multiple shapes.
3. Viruses can infect other viruses as well, as they consist of programming commands, and therefore, like other files, they are also vulnerable to being infected by another virus.
4. Permanence and continuity, as some types of viruses, have the ability to return to any computer, even after preparing it and eliminating the virus, but it can return again.

 

 

How viruses are transmitted

There are many ways through which viruses can be transmitted, including the following:

1. Electronic programs and services are provided via the Internet and in an unofficial manner.
2. Some attachments are emailed.
3. Files and programs are downloaded and uploaded via the Internet.
4. Various means of storage, including flash drives, hard disks, USP connections, and others.
5. Some fake or anonymous links, or where the extension is HTTP and not HTTPS, and links that are shared via various social media.
6. Some types of text messages are carried out by mobile devices.

What harm do computer viruses cause?

1. Causing files to be permanently deleted and sometimes they cannot be recovered.
2. Causing the computer's operating system to be very slow and often hindering its operation.
3. The appearance of many messages indicating errors in files or programs infected with viruses.
4. Manipulating the size of files on the device and changing them continuously.
5. Causing the disruption of some ports on the computer.
6. computer viruses cause unusual activities on the device, such as changing passwords and other activities
7. The repeated appearance of pop-up windows without a call, repeatedly and annoyingly, will hinder work.
8. Sudden suspension and closing of all windows.

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