Viruses: Spread, Effects, and Prevention

Nearly everyone who has spent any time at all around the internet has heard of the dreaded computer virus. We all have some idea what a virus in cyber space is, because we've all heard of common human ailments like colds and various types of flu. If you imagine your computer being able to catch a "computer cold" you've pretty much got the concept.

No one, not even your computer, wants to be sick. It makes us tired, so we do things more slowly than normal, and sometimes we do ordinary tasks poorly. A computer virus has the same sort's of effects on your computer that a nasty cold or bout of the flu has on you. It's irksome and debilitating, but only likely to be dangerous if left untreated.

Definition of a Virus
According to US-CERT, A computer virus is a program that spreads by first infecting files or the system areas of a computer or network router's hard drive and then making copies of itself. Some viruses are harmless, others may damage data files, and some may destroy files. Viruses used to be spread when people shared floppy disks and other portable media, now viruses are primarily spread through email messages.

For our purposes, you only need to know that like a human virus, computer viruses first infect a host, and then replicate themselves. It's a lot more complicated than Amy Amoeba's replication to the right... They need a portal of entry, a place to attach to their host, a manner of replication, and then a port of exit.

Unlike worms, viruses often require some sort of user action (e.g., opening an email attachment or visiting a malicious web page) to spread. In a lot of ways the virus is not so different from we amoebas... They just want to live and replicate. The problem that occurs is that in order to do so, human viruses hijack the human body. Computer viruses hijack the computer's brain, and affect all of it's functions.

Again, according to US-CERT, or the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team: A virus is simply a computer program--it can do anything that any other program you run on your computer can do. Some viruses are designed to deliberately damage files, and others may just spread to other computers.

Signs and Symptoms of Infection
If left untreated viruses can have a high cost. Let's look at some of the symptoms that may alert you to a possible computer virus:
1) Computer is slow to start up.
2) Icons disappear from start-up screen.
3) Files will not open or have missing or garbled information.
4)Computer shuts down unexpectedly.

While all of these may be caused by other issues, it is always wise to check for a virus. The cost of not checking could well be far more than you want to pay, in lost time, work, and replacement fees for irreparably damaged equipment.

What to do before, during, and after an infection
The first thing you'll want to do is find and install a good virus protection program if your computer did not come with one already installed. Most computers now come with a trial version of one of the more well known virus protection programs, like McAfee, or Norton. I personally like to use Kaspersky, because for me, they are the most Amoeba friendly. I take a while to warm up to new systems and programs, but Kaspersky has a very Keep-It-Simple approach that works well with my little amoeba brain. And hey, anything that is going to keep my computer running at peak performance levels is something I'm definitely in favor of. Kaspersky warns me in terms I understand if the program finds a suspicious attachment or activity, and the peace of mind that brings to me is priceless.

Know what normal operations for your computer should look like. Install a virus protection program, and then check for viruses by running a scan for all known viruses at least once a week. You can do this by scheduling the scans to take place automatically. Make sure to update your virus protection and computer operating system frequently. Using automated methods of doing this, from trusted sources is a good way to make sure you don't forget. And finally, if your computer is infected with a virus, a good virus protection program will help you isolate and remove the viruses.

Remember, if you're coming to this after you've already been infected, you can still get a good virus protection program and clean up your computer. If the virus has progressed far enough to cause permanent damage, you may have to repair or replace some things, but even so you're a step ahead now, because you know have the power of knowledge. You know what to do to protect yourself and your computer. You know what an infection looks like, and you know the first steps to take to get your computer running at peak performance again. If you are unable to figure out everything, you can try using your virus protection's technical support team... when you paid for the virus protection, if you went with one of the three mentioned in this blog post they all come with tech support (and that's often a must-have for we Amoebas). Whatever brand of virus protection you choose to use, be sure to check on whether they offer tech support. It can be a handy, and cost saving resource.

So, there are a lot of ways you can get a virus, probably as many as there are avenues of entry into your computing device. There are Boot-Sector viruses that can be spread by booting up your computer with an infected thumb drive or disc inserted into your computer.
Easy fix?
Sure. Don't start your computer with a thumb drive in, and scan both your thumb drives and discs frequently to ensure they do not have viruses lurking on them.
There are Logic and Time bombs, Scrip and Macro Viruses...

Let's keep this simple though... if you see one or more of the signs or symptoms, stop, drop and roll... yep just like the old fire-fighter drill, but with a difference. Stop what your are doing. Yes right now. Drop the mouse clicker on your virus protection icon, pull it up, and Roll the virus scan. Keeping it simple, keeping it real. It's never gonna be a hundred percent safe to engage with others on the net. However, if you take some fairly simple precautions, you can surf the net with a high degree of safety, and when it's simply unavoidable that you catch the latest virus making the rounds, you can be aware of the signs and symptoms, and get your computer the "first aid" it needs in a timely fashion.  From one Amoeba to another, go forth and play in the shiny internet... and happy virus free surfing to you!