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Viruses normally infect just one computer, however, if the computer is a part of a network, then
the computer virus may spread to other systems much like a human virus which transmits from
one person to another. After entering to the computer, they hamper the normal functioning of the
resources of computer such as processing power, memory and installed programs. Sometime, a virus
slows down the speed of computer or even damages the hard disk of the computer completely which
may not be recovered or repaired. VIRUS stands for Vital Information Resources Under Seize.
We have learnt about different types of malware. The damage caused by a virus is unexpected; it can
corrupt the system software or destroy data. So this explains what a computer virus does and how it
affects your device. Now let us learn about computer viruses in greater detail which will help us to stay
cautious and prepared in case of a virus attack!
Harms Caused by Computer Viruses
Different viruses will affect your computer in different ways.
These can crash your hard disk.
These can destroy all or some of your data.
These decrease the processing speed of the computer.
These can reduce or block the memory of the computer or hard disk.
These stop you from restarting your computer or keep on restarting your computer.
These send e-mails from your account without your knowledge.
Types of Computer Virus
There are various types of computer viruses that infect the computer in different ways. The most
commonly known categories of computer viruses are:
Program File Virus
Boot Sector Virus
Macro Virus
E-mail Virus
Let us learn about these in detail.
Program File Virus
A program file virus, also known as file-infecting virus is a type of computer virus that infects
executable files (program files such as .exe, .com, .sys, etc.) to make them unusable or damage
permanently. When an infected program file is executed, the code of the virus is also executed.
Once a virus has been executed, it remains active in the memory of the computer and can infect more
programs. Sometime, a program file virus is called file injector. The most commonly known program
file viruses are Jerusalem and Cascade.
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