8 Common Types of Computer Viruses

How does a computer virus attack?

Once a virus has successfully attached itself to software, files, or documents, it will remain dormant until the computer or device is forced to run its code. To get a virus to infect your computer, you must first run the infected programme, which then executes the virus code.

This implies that a virus can remain latent on your computer for long periods without causing any noticeable symptoms. Once a virus has infected your computer, it can spread to other machines on the same network. Stealing passwords or data, tracking keystrokes, corrupting files, spamming your email contacts, and even seizing control of your computer are just a few of the damaging and annoying things a hacker may do.

While some viruses are intended to be amusing, others can have far-reaching and destructive consequences. This can include wiping data or permanently damaging your hard drive. Worse still, some infections are created with monetary benefits in mind.

What are how computer viruses spread?

You can get a computer virus in a constantly connected environment in a variety of ways, some more visible than others. Viruses can be propagated by email and text message attachments, file downloads from the Internet, and social media fraud links. Through shady software downloads, your mobile devices and smartphones might become infected with mobile viruses. Viruses can masquerade as socially shareable information like hilarious photos, greeting cards, or audio and video files. Nobody likes being sick. When you’re sick with a fever, it’s impossible to work at full capacity.

It may seem absurd, but your computer, like you, can get a fever. Okay, maybe not precisely like you—sneezing on your keyboard won’t infect your computer—but there are some parallels.

The name “virus” was given to computer viruses because of the manner they infect a computer system. Doctors can generally diagnose a virus based on the body’s symptoms. The same can be done with computers by IT pros. The following are some of the most common symptoms of a computer virus infection:

  • Crashing and blue screen issues regularly
  • Performance is slow.
  • Files that are missing
  • Storage space is limited.
  • Unanticipated conduct
  • Constant pop-ups in the browser
  • Programs that can’t be identified
  • Network activity has increased.
  • Security software that has been disabled

How Do Computer Viruses Get Onto Your Computer?

Most people are aware of how to prepare for cold and flu season: wash hands, cough with your mouth covered, sneeze with your nose covered, get plenty of rest, and avoid others who may be sick. It’s something we’re taught from an early age.

Because we understand how humans get viruses, we know to take these safeguards. In a similar line, knowing how viruses infect computers allows you to take better preventative steps and spot a virus before it spreads out of hand. We show you how to spot 8 typical computer viruses in this blog. Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS are all supported.

Many computer viruses target Microsoft Windows-based systems. Macs, on the other hand, have a reputation for being virus-free supercomputers, although Apple admits that Macs do catch viruses. Because there are more Windows users than Mac users on the planet, fraudsters build viruses for the operating system (OS) with the most potential victims.

The “computer” in our pockets today is likely to be the one we use the most: our smartphones. Both Android and iOS are vulnerable to many types of malware. Most cybersecurity organisations, such as Malwarebytes, now protect Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

Statistics On Computer Viruses

Data Recovery and Ransomware Attacks Sophos discovered that “on average, ransom-payers got back only 65 per cent of the encrypted data, leaving more than a third inaccessible, while 29 per cent stated they barely got half of the data back” in a poll of 5,400 IT decision-makers. Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts files and holds them hostage.

Cyberattacks are expensive. The average cost of a data breach in the United States is $3.86 million, according to IBM. A breach takes an average of 280 days to detect and contain.

Viruses on the computer should be repeated. According to a poll of 1,300 security specialists conducted by Cybereason, 4 out of 5 organisations who paid ransomware received a second ransomware attack.

Computer Viruses In Common Types

  • Resident infections infiltrate your RAM and disrupt your system’s functionality. They’re so cunning that they can even attach themselves to the files of your anti-virus program.
  • Multipartite viruses spread by conducting unlawful activities on your operating system, files, and programmes, infecting the entire system.
  • By duplicating and infecting files, this virus targets a specific file type, most often executable files (.exe). This virus is one of the easiest to detect and delete due to its targeted nature.
  • This virus enters your browser and redirects you to fraudulent websites. It is easily identified.
  • Overwrite viruses, as the name implies, infect entire directories, files, and programmes by overwriting file content.
  • This malicious virus hides in the coding of links, advertisements, photos, videos, and website code. When people download malicious files or visit malicious websites, it might infect their computers.
  • When a user launches executable files (.exe), file infector viruses slow down the software and destroy system files.
  • This virus hides in a file on a USB drive or an email attachment, making it one of the easier viruses to avoid. When activated, it can damage the system by infecting the master boot record.

How Do I Protect My Computer From Viruses?

Multiple layers of cybersecurity defence are essential for safeguarding oneself from computer infections. A firewall or anti-virus programme is a good start, but it’s not a complete answer. In a cybersecurity plan, there are several layers to consider, including user education, endpoint detection and response (EDR), DNS filtering, and more. Learn more about cybersecurity’s 11 layers.

Your specific solution will be determined by criteria such as your company’s size, industry, organisational type, and long-term business objectives. The simplest approach to see multilayered computer virus protection is to imagine each layer of cybersecurity separately.