Just like the human body can become weak when infected with a cold or flu, your electronic devices - specifically laptops and PCs - can also become sick when a (different kind) of virus attacks.
Computer viruses are malicious types of malware that can harm your computer and earn its name because of how they spread by "infecting" other files on a disk or computer. Viruses then spread to other disk drives and machines when the infected files are received in downloads from websites, email attachments, shared drives, or when carried in files on physical media, such as USB drives.
Perhaps you've heard about them or not at all, but these are some of the most common types of viruses you can potentially come across:
Worms - These types infect system entry points and spread through the device and across any network to which the device connects.
Adware - While some adware is relatively harmless, others use tracking tools to glean information about your location or browser history.
Spyware - As the name suggests, it spies and collects data such as keystrokes, browsing habits, location data, and login information.
Ransomware - It infects your computer, encrypts your (sensitive) data, personal or work documents, and then demands a ransom for its release.
Bots - These can cause the machine to execute specific commands without the user's approval or knowledge, which hackers can also gain access to.
Rootkits - This type of virus allows attackers to take complete control of your machine to steal data or install additional malware.
Trojan Horses - Once downloaded and installed, Trojans make changes to a computer and carry out malicious activities, without any knowledge.
Computer viruses are malicious types of malware that can harm your computer and earn its name because of how they spread by "infecting" other files on a disk or computer. Viruses then spread to other disk drives and machines when the infected files are received in downloads from websites, email attachments, shared drives, or when carried in files on physical media, such as USB drives.
Perhaps you've heard about them or not at all, but these are some of the most common types of viruses you can potentially come across:
Worms - These types infect system entry points and spread through the device and across any network to which the device connects.
Adware - While some adware is relatively harmless, others use tracking tools to glean information about your location or browser history.
Spyware - As the name suggests, it spies and collects data such as keystrokes, browsing habits, location data, and login information.
Ransomware - It infects your computer, encrypts your (sensitive) data, personal or work documents, and then demands a ransom for its release.
Bots - These can cause the machine to execute specific commands without the user's approval or knowledge, which hackers can also gain access to.
Rootkits - This type of virus allows attackers to take complete control of your machine to steal data or install additional malware.
Trojan Horses - Once downloaded and installed, Trojans make changes to a computer and carry out malicious activities, without any knowledge.
Signs that your machine is infected
Slow performance - You know how fast your laptop or PC boots up, so if specific programs take longer than usual to start, a virus of some sort is often the root cause of it. In some cases, the culprit can also be a lack of RAM or hard disk space.
Unexpected pop-ups - Programs or any other windows won't pop up by themselves, and it is most likely a virus at work. The windows usually pop up randomly and often while browsing the internet. While they are annoying, they might also contain a serious malware threat if any links are opened.
Error messages - This is usually one of the first signs of infection where programs start opening and closing automatically, and at random, your system freezes or shuts down for no reason.
Missing files - This is where things get a bit more serious. Depending on the severity of the virus, it either deletes programs or moves them around. Worse yet, some might even disappear and encrypt your files, so you aren't able to open them at all.
Now that you've got the knowledge, it's time to shop! Head to gumtree.co.za or your Gumtree app (click for Apple & Android), and don't forget to use your location settings to find local service information close to home.
