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A computer virus is actually a computer program that can copy itself and infect your computer or network without your permission or knowledge. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, adware, and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability. A true virus can only spread from one computer to another (in some form of executable code) when its host is taken to the target computer; for instance because a user sent it over a network or the Internet, or carried it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, DVD or USB drive. Viruses can increase their chances of spreading to other computers by infecting files on a network file system or a file system that is accessed by another computer.
Malware includes computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware, and other malicious and unwanted software. Viruses are sometimes confused with worms and Trojan horses which are technically different. A worm can exploit security vulnerabilities to spread itself to other computers without needing to be transferred as part of a host, and a trojan horse is a program that appears harmless but has a hidden agenda. Worms and trojans, like viruses, may cause harm to a computer system's hosted data, functional performance, or networking throughput, when they are executed. Although many are surreptitious, some viruses and other malware have symptoms noticeable to the computer user, such as:
- extremely long boot up times - loss of critical files - pop ups alerting you that your computer may be infected - strange email activity - extremely slow internet connection - browser redirects to unintended websites
Most personal computers are now connected to the Internet and to local area networks, facilitating the spread of malicious code. Today's malware also takes advantage of network services such as the World Wide Web, email, instant messaging, and file sharing systems to spread.
If you have been the unlucky recipient of any of the above mentioned items or are experiencing any of these symptoms with your computer, please call us at XtremePC today. We will repair your computer, restore functionality and recommend a viable anti-virus and internet security solution.
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