Top 5 Computer Viruses and How to Prevent Them
Many people face the issue of malware and viruses on their computers. Although some of the computer viruses are small and don’t cause much harm, there are other malware programs that can cause severe and irreparable damage. It is very important to be aware of the top five computer viruses as well as the ways through which they can be avoided so that your system and the data on it remains safe and free from any sort of threat.
Top Five Computer Viruses:
1. ILOVEYOU Virus:
Reading its name, no one could have ever imagined that this is virus in reality. It was a deadly virus that took the entire world by storm in 2002. The virus is known as the ILOVEYOU virus as it spread via emails whose subject line was “I Love You”. The email contained an attachment which was actually a worm. Upon downloading, it started replicating itself and started overwriting the system files.
2. Storm Worm:
The Storm Worm was another deadly virus that spread via emails. It made the headlines in 2006. The subject line of the email via it spread was “230 Dead As Storm Batters Europe”. Since this virus was a Trojan Horse, it not only infected computers but also used the infected computers to further spread the virus by sending spam mails. Within a year, the virus had taken over around two million computers.
3. Anna Kournikova:
Anna Kournikova, are we talking about a virus or a popular tennis player? It is actually a virus that is named after the popular tennis player Anna Kournikova. Since she was one of the most searched players on the internet, the developers of the virus named their malware after her. The virus was written as a joke by a Dutch man and was overall harmless. But it did infecta a large number of computers from all around the globe.
4. Slammer:
Most IT Consulting service providers are aware of the virus Slammer. While most viruses affect computers, this one targeted servers. It spread at a rapid rate and took over major servers. 911, flight operations and even ATM services were affected by it’s deadly attack. The main strength of this virus was its rapid growing rate. It could replicate itself within seconds and be transferred to other servers and computers to cause more destruction.
5. Stuxnet:
Stuxnet was surely one of the deadliest viruses in the history of malware and IT Support Los Angeles would surely agree. It was created by American government engineers and was targeted to attack Iranian Nuclear Program. Although it’s source is still unknown, it was classified as a cyberweapon and ended up costing the Iranian Nuclear Program a lot of money setting them back. The source of spreading of this virus was a USB pen drive and it surely accomplished the mission it was created for.
How To Prevent Computer Virus Attacks?
There's a huge variety of hi-tech products - go here to learn more. Likewise, there's a diverse range of computer viruses and new ones are being created every now and then. One can never be too sure about the extent of damage they can cause. And as they say, “Better Safe Than Sorry”. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you take preventive measures and try to secure your system as much as possible so you don’t fall a prey to these viruses and malware.
The most common cause of virus spread according to all major IT Support companies is through emails. The viruses are attached to emails and when these emails are received by people who unknowingly download these attachments. As soon as the malware is downloaded, it starts its action and starts replicating itself. At times, the infected computer also serves as the sender and the email is automatically sent to other email addresses in the contact list causing the spread of the malware.
Downloading files and data from unreliable and unknown sources is another source of the spread of computer viruses. These files are corrupted and contain the code to the malware. When these .exe files are executed on the computer, they attack the system and overwrite the data. At times, the viruses start sending the computer’s information to other sources without even the user realizing it.
Another common mistake that people mistake which can cost them the safety of their systems is not scanning USB drives. If the USB drive contains the malware, it will be transferred to your PC as soon as the USB is plugged into your system. Therefore, don’t procrastinate and make sure that you scan all USB drives that are connected to your PC before your proceed with any sort of data transfer.
Other than this, be proactive and make use of IT Services to have an active antivirus software on your system. Make it a habit to scan your PC on a regular basis so that you can be a hundred percent sure that no virus has attacked and compromised the safety of your computer. Read more about JEE.