Page 96 - Trackpad_V2.1_Class5
P. 96
Effects of Virus
Files become corrupted or the content of the files gets deleted.
A virus can damage or destroy the operating system.
A virus can reduce the memory space.
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
A Program file virus, also known as a file-infecting virus, is a type of computer virus
that targets and infects executable files (such as .exe, .com, .sys, etc.). When an infected
program file is run, the virus code is also executed, which can then spread to other files,
corrupt them, or make them unusable.
Boot Sector Virus
A Boot sector virus is a type of computer virus that infects the boot sector of storage
devices like hard disks, floppy disks, or USB drives. It specifically targets the Master Boot
Record (MBR) or the boot sector, which is responsible for loading the operating system
during the startup process. Once the system is infected, the virus can spread to other
disks that are used with the infected computer. The most commonly known boot sector
viruses are Michelangelo and Stoned.
Macro Virus
A Macro virus is a type of virus that targets and infects documents, particularly files that
use macros, such as Microsoft Word or Excel files. When a user opens an infected document,
the macro virus is executed, potentially spreading to other documents and affecting the
system. The virus may then infect other files by embedding its malicious code into macros
within the user's documents. Additionally, some macro viruses do send themselves via
email by automatically attaching to messages and sending them to contacts in the user's
address book, thus spreading further. Melissa and Bablas are the most commonly known
macro viruses.
E-mail Virus
An E-mail virus is a type of computer virus that transmits from one computer to another
through e-mail messages. Some e-mail viruses can also be transmitted as an infected
attachment with the e-mail message. The virus can become active when the recipient
opens the infected email attachment or sometimes even clicks on a malicious link. It
sounds very simple but an e-mail virus can erase files, destroy information and cause
computer crashes.
94 Trackpad (V2.1)-V

