Computer viruses and how to protect ourselves

The computer viruses are malicious programs (Malware) that infect other files of the system with the intention of modifying it or damaging it, this infection consists of embedding its malicious code inside the victim file (usually an executable file) so that from that moment said executable becomes the carrier of the virus and therefore, a new source of infection. In addition, they can also be used to spy on other users and cause immense damage to personal or business data.

Computer viruses have changed their ways of infecting thanks to the great expansion of the Internet, initially the spread of viruses was limited to depend on the transport by physical discs and memories, however there is now a great diversity of them and can be transmitted by almost all means available, as in email attachments, in downloaded programs or even in some websites that we visit.

Computer viruses are created and developed by man in order to damage government institutions or large companies and also the common user. The purpose of a virus depends on the creator, be it for the subtraction of data, disable computers or simply annoy through advertising known as spam.

In the year 2000, millions of people made the mistake of opening what appeared to be an email from a secret admirer. It was simply titled «I Love You«, but instead of being a loving confession, it really was a «worm», which after overwriting the user’s images was sent by email to 50 contacts in the user’s Windows calendar. In just a few hours it became a global infection.

There are many methods to protect computers from a virus attack using software such as Firewalls, Anti-Spyware or the mythical Antivirus that are a set of tools that includes the previous ones in the same program.

The best method to prevent a computer from being attacked by a virus is to use an antivirus. The antivirus is a program designed to prevent, search, detect and eliminate software viruses and other malicious software from a computer system.

How to protect computers from viruses attack

• Stay informed about the latest virus threats.
• Backup important files and save them in different locations.
• Install an antivirus program on each of your computers.
• Secure your Internet connection using a firewall.
• Isolate infected computers or drives and disconnect from the Internet until you have run an antivirus program.
• Update antivirus programs on a regular basis.
• Scan the email attachments or any downloaded from the Internet before opening them. Do not open or download files from unknown sources.