Viruses have always been a problem for computer users and eliminating them is, of course, a necessity. In this post, I show you how to avoid having constant problems with computer viruses in 2023 by sharing some tips with you.
You people are always on the computer doing so many activities of your work but in between your device can be infected by your small mistake.
In this article, I will cover
- What is Virus
- Types of viruses
- Shocking Computer Virus Statistics
- How to avoid computer viruses
- FAQs
- Conclusion
Before proceeding further Let’s know what the virus isπ
What is Virus?
The virus is a type of malicious computer program, which can copy itself from one computer to another and it may destroy the data in your computer memory. The viruses are supposed to work anonymously so people are not getting any ideas about who has created them.
We’ve all been there at some point. You want to send an email to a family member. You open your mail program and send the message. WAIT! Something is wrong, you realize your computer is sending out emails like crazy. Before you know it, the whole world has received your personal information.
A virus has infected your computer. And now you want to know how to stop it.
Types Of viruses
1. Spyware
Spyware is programs that are installed intentionally on your computer. These spyware programs can collect personal information from you and completely destroy the information on your computer. Most spyware is designed to track your activities and relay this information to someone else without your knowledge.
These type of spyware can actually be used to steal information from your computer or attempt to take over your computer in order to access personal data
2. Trons
While most viruses operate solely to damage your computer, simplify security options and slow down the speed of your computer, Tron’s virus serves a completely different purpose. It infiltrates a computer and controls it remotely.
There are 2 ways how you can get infected with this malware.
- By opening an attachment that was sent to you in an email from someone you know
- By clicking on suspicious links
3. Boot Sector Virus
You’ve done your part to protect your computer with anti-virus software and the latest patches, now make sure that you don’t become a victim of viruses. A boot sector virus is one of the most common types of computer viruses. These viruses infect the very first sector of the hard drive and maybe concealed in one of many different pieces of software.
The boot sector of your hard drive stores information about your operating system, as well as the memory addresses where your operating system operates. Since this information is so important, it is replicated on all your hard drive’s physical drives, at regular intervals
4. Network virus
A network virus is a special kind of computer virus. Network viruses are designed to spread over networks. They are created with the purpose of damaging or destroying data on networked computers.
It spreads spread from one computer to another over a computer network. Network viruses may infect other computers on the same LAN, WAN, or the Internet
I can assume you got a little bit of idea about Virus
Now comes the scary thing which I going to show you through the picture that is Virus statistics
Shocking Computer Virus Statistics
Viruses are all around us and it seems that, at one time or another, we’ve all had a computer virus of some type infect our computer. The number of virus attacks is rising each year, so I wanted to do a quick post based on some shocking statistics you may never have heard before.
Source: Microsoft Security Intelligence Report
How to avoid computer viruses
The best way to avoid computer viruses is not to get one. It’s important for you to know the most common way of computer viruses. All of them are related to unsafe websites. When you visit that kind of website, you’re exposing your computer to a lot of risks.
There is always a virus on these websites and it may harm your personal or work computer immediately.
However, let’s know in detail how to avoid Computer virusesπ
1. Install antivirus software
This is cheesy but, you can never know how important is to install the antivirus software. The number of computer viruses will soon multiply just like what happened in 1995. Note that there are different types of computer virus and it has a different way of attacking your pc.
Computer viruses are out there, and will always keep coming. But by following a keen strategy, we can succeed in avoiding the nasty slimy buggers β and that strategy begins with installing antivirus software.
2. Be careful with Email attachments
More and more Internet users now know they should treat email attachments with caution. But it may come as a surprise that emails with no attachments can pose risk to your PC. If you receive an email with an attachment, don’t just click on that file. This is because cybercriminals can use these files to infect your device with a virus
As soon as you open the file this code can instantly copy itself to your computer and begin to spread itself by sending more emails out containing malicious code.
3. Backup your computer
You might be wondering why you should install a backup tool in 2023. My friend, things are about to get real. Malware is at an all-time high, and attackers are using more sophisticated methods than ever to break into people’s systems. The fact is you need to backup your computer, or it will get destroyed at some point in the near future.
Step to back up your data
- Go to google chrome and go to six dots on the upper right side
- Then go to drive and upload whatever you want as a backup
4. Avoid pirated software
With one in five consumers falling victim to computer viruses, it’s important to be aware of the problem. If you’re using a computer with pirated software, you may be at risk for these viruses. It’s so easy to stop this from happening to you β why risk your files being corrupted or destroyed? It’s time to protect yourself from this technology issue that not only costs you time but money as well.
5. Avoid questionable websites
When you log in to some websites if they ask too many questions which is not necessary then you must avoid these types of websites because in backup hackers take your time by staying on their own websites by asking too many questions.
Hackers are getting more sophisticated and cybercrime is on the rise. There still isn’t a single place on the internet that has all the security information in one place.
6. Update your software
Always update your device that hackers always have an eye on an old version of the software because they prepare themselves and find loopholes in the software. so it’s better to update your software.
Steps to update software
- Search window update settings
- Then go to click for updates
7. Unsecured Wi-Fi
WiFi at home, cafes, airports and other public places is often not encrypted. This means that anyone can access your laptop or smartphone when you connect to such a network. Using public wifi without VPN protection is like undressing in front of strangers.
so it’s better to avoid public Wi-Fi which not only induces viruses but also creates a risk of hacking your data.
8. Use a strong password
Using a weak password is like using no lock at all. Attackers can easily guess or use brute-force methods to get access to your computer, bank, and email. A strong password is the first step in locking down your account and protecting your sensitive data.
It should contain a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols β lowercase and uppercase. Avoid using common substitutions such as zero for O, z for S, and @ for A. Secure passwords are easy to remember since theyβre associated with emotional experiences in your life like coming up with creative ways to avoid computer virus statistics
FAQs
What a virus can do to a device?
A virus is a type of malware that can infect devices by inserting malicious code. It has the ability to replicate and spread. They are also dangerous as they will take control of other programs and change them to infect more devices.
What are trojans?
A trojan is a program that runs in the background while you’re working, playing, or just putting your PC to sleep. There are thousands of them out there and they can be used by hackers to gain access to your computer and steal personal information.
What is malware?
Malware is short for malicious software, and it refers to programs that are secretly installed on your computer to steal or damage information. Often attackers will install malware on computers, and then use that access to spy on you, steal your sensitive data, or cause damage to your system.
What are the reasons for getting viruses on your device?
There are so many reasons for that
1.) When you use public Wi-Fi
2.) when you don’t use a Strong password
3.) When you click on suspicious links
4.) When you fill in your information on unsecured websites
Conclusion
You take a few precautions, computer viruses do not have to be difficult to avoid. The key is to learn where they can hide, and what they usually do when they are there. Once you figure this out, it’s easy to keep your computer safe from these little creeps.
And that’s it. You should now be completely qualified and ready to fend off any computer viruses that may try to attack you in the future! If you have any further computer security questions, feel free to contact us. Good luck!
