5 Common Computer Viruses and How to Avoid Them

Is your computer on the fritz? One day it is working perfectly fine and the next it’s sending mass emails from your account, changing passwords without your knowledge, and crashing every 10 minutes.

If you are experiencing these symptoms, your computer might have been attacked by a virus. To avoid this issue in the future, you need to recognize common computer viruses. Read on to learn about five of them.

1. Macro Virus

A macro virus is one of the common computer viruses found in Microsoft Office programs such as Word and Excel. When a macro virus infects your files, it increases the size of them because a new code gets attached.

If the infected file gets shared with other computers via email, the virus can spread to other devices.

2. Boot Sector Virus

Next on the list of most common computer viruses is the boot sector virus. This is an old virus that was big in the 90s but is still around today. The boot sector heads straight to the core of the computer affecting how it starts.

Back then, this virus would spread through floppy disks but now it can attach to USB sticks or emails. If your computer catches a boot sector virus, an expert must undergo a full system reformat.

3. Trojan Horses

Trojan horses are not only one of the most common types of viruses in computers, they are also one of the sneakiest. In fact, trojans account for 58% of all computer malware attacks.

Trojan horses are used by cybercriminals to gain access to computer files and private data.

This virus seems like a normal program and tempts you to install it. After installment, it will work to gain your banking information, passwords, and much more.

This hacking technique may be used to make online purchases or expose your private information.

4. Overwrite Virus

There are a lot of signs of a computer virus, but you may not know if an overwrite virus is on your computer. This is because they take over a file and wipe the original code without your knowledge.

After a file gets deleted, the original file cannot be recovered. This virus can spread via email on attachments and file downloads.

You can avoid this virus by scanning unknown files or downloads before clicking on them. Anti-virus software will help you detect the virus before it has a chance to take over.

You can also use these questions to ask your cybersecurity company for advice on avoiding viruses like this.

5. Web Scripting Virus

If you see signs of a virus on your computer after visiting a social media website, it may be because of a web scripting virus. This virus hides on popular social media platforms and disguises itself as normal links.

If you click on these sneaky links, they will steal your cookies so that spam is sent to your system. Don’t take these viruses lightly, they can damage your data and spread like wildfire.

Avoiding Common Computer Viruses

Because there are so many technological viruses out there, avoiding common computer viruses is not always that easy. However, there are some practices you can follow to stay safe on the internet.

The biggest rule of thumb is to never open or click on any links that you are suspicious about. Use a firewall as your computer’s first line of defense and always backup your files.

For additional tips on protecting your devices and much more, check out the other posts on our blog.

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