Having a computer is a great thing. Using the Internet is a great thing. But somehow downloading and having a virus infect your computer is a horrible thing. It is a sad commentary on the state of humanity that there exists those that want nothing more than to do harm to others through brilliant programming of horrible computer viruses.
These horrible but brilliantly designed entities can come to your computer in many different ways. Maybe you'll download some free music sharing software, or download some other software that you think is free. Once you've got this "free" software on your system, the virus unleashes itself, with the intention of destroying all in it's path. Just like those aliens on "ID4" with Will Smith.
Some software is not dangerous, it is just nuisance. Sometimes this software is called adware, and it's sole purpose is to deliver advertisements to you when you least expect them. These can potentially slow your computer down to crawl, as all of these programs are fighting over your computer's resources.
Other malicious software spreads through email, and doesn't need to piggy back on other "free" software that you intentionally download. These are the worst kind. They can spread just as quickly, and be just as deadly as the bubonic plague, or Captain Tripps.
However, recently there has been a new kind of virus, or malicious software. This pretends to be a free spyware removal tool. It scans your system, finds several problems, and then tells you that you need to pay for he full version to get rid of the problems. Only that the "problems" it found were put there on purpose just to be able to find them!
The safest way to protect yourself is bite the bullet and pay for a yearly subscription to one of the major anti-virus companies. That way you'll always have the latest updates and tools to protect your computer, and your valuable data. Be careful out there.
These horrible but brilliantly designed entities can come to your computer in many different ways. Maybe you'll download some free music sharing software, or download some other software that you think is free. Once you've got this "free" software on your system, the virus unleashes itself, with the intention of destroying all in it's path. Just like those aliens on "ID4" with Will Smith.
Some software is not dangerous, it is just nuisance. Sometimes this software is called adware, and it's sole purpose is to deliver advertisements to you when you least expect them. These can potentially slow your computer down to crawl, as all of these programs are fighting over your computer's resources.
Other malicious software spreads through email, and doesn't need to piggy back on other "free" software that you intentionally download. These are the worst kind. They can spread just as quickly, and be just as deadly as the bubonic plague, or Captain Tripps.
However, recently there has been a new kind of virus, or malicious software. This pretends to be a free spyware removal tool. It scans your system, finds several problems, and then tells you that you need to pay for he full version to get rid of the problems. Only that the "problems" it found were put there on purpose just to be able to find them!
The safest way to protect yourself is bite the bullet and pay for a yearly subscription to one of the major anti-virus companies. That way you'll always have the latest updates and tools to protect your computer, and your valuable data. Be careful out there.
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