Computer Virus and How Does it
Work?
What is a computer virus and how does it work?
There are many different types of computer viruses and
all of them can be devastating. As they spread, they can steal
personal information, cripple computer performance, and cause
various problems.
What is a computer virus?
A computer virus is a type of malware that attaches itself
to other programs, self-replicates, and spreads from one
computer to another. When a virus infects a computer, it makes
copies of itself and attaches to other files or documents. It then
modifies those files and continues to spread.
There are two main types of computer viruses
based on their activity:
1. Active Viruses: These start infecting and replicating
immediately once they enter your computer.
2. Dormant Viruses: These remain inactive until triggered,
waiting for you to unknowingly run or execute their code.
Kinds of Malicious Codes
A computer virus can begin infecting your computer
immediately, or it can wait for you to unwittingly trigger it.
Computer viruses have four phases
1. Dormant phase: This is when the virus is hidden on your
system, lying in wait.
2. Propagation phase: This is when the virus begins to self-
replicate, hiding copies of itself in files, programs, or other parts
of your disk. The clones may be slightly altered in an attempt to
avoid detection, and these copies will also self-replicate, creating
more clones that continue to copy and spread.
Computer viruses have four phases
3. Triggering phase: A specific action is generally required to
trigger or activate the virus. This could be a user action, like
clicking an icon or opening an app. And some viruses are
programmed to trigger after certain events or a set period of
time.
4. Execution phase: Now the virus’s program is executed and
releases its payload, the malicious code that harms your device.
Common ways computer viruses spread
Emails
Downloads
Messaging Services
Old Software
Malvertising
What can viruses do to your computer?
Here are some of the effects they can cause:
Slow or stuttering performance
Corrupted or deleted files
Incessant pop-ups or adware
Program failure and operating system crashes
A constantly spinning hard drive
Malfunctioning apps, files, and other programs
Different types of computer viruses
Boot sector virus - As the name suggests, boot sector viruses sneak into your boot sector to infect your
memory right away. These types of viruses traditionally spread through hardware, such as floppy disks,
USB drives, and CDs.
Example: The Stone virus is a well-known example of a boot sector virus. It was one
of the most widespread viruses in the early 1990s and spread through infected floppy disks.
When a computer was booted from an infected disk, the virus would immediately load into the
system’s memory, allowing it to replicate and infect the system.
Resident virus - A resident virus is another type of memory-infecting virus that sets up shop in your RAM
(random access memory), which lets the virus persist even if you remove the original infector.
Example: The CIH (Chernobyl) virus is a famous resident virus. It stays in memory
and is able to infect files as they are accessed or run. This virus caused significant damage in
the late 1990s by overwriting crucial system data
Different types of computer viruses
Multipartite virus - Increasing their power by infecting both your files and
your boot space, multipartite viruses are brutal. They’re very hard to eradicate
because they can hide themselves in either files or the boot space.
The Invader virus was one such example, which began overwriting your
hard drive as soon as you hit CTRL + ALT + DEL to try to get rid of it.
Polymorphic virus - Another stubborn type of virus, polymorphic viruses hide
by changing shape. As they replicate, their clones are all slightly different,
which helps avoid detection.
One example is the VirLock virus, which changes shape while also
incorporating a bit of ransomware that locks up your files until you pay
to release them.
Different types of computer viruses
Macro viruses are created to hide inside word document files, such as
DOC or DOCX files. When you download the file, you’ll be prompted to
enable macros — as soon as you do, you trigger the computer virus.
Infected macros have also been used in ransomware, such as the Locky
strain, which targeted healthcare institutions, encrypting their files and
demanding payment to decrypt them.
Avoiding the latest computer virus threats
Here are some other tips to keep in mind:
Stay Skeptical
Avoid Pirated Software
Be Cautious with Apps
Beware of Ads and Pop-ups
Install Updates
Use Trusted Cybersecurity Software
Signs your computer is infected with a virus
There are several other symptoms of a computer virus to look out for,
including:
Excessive pop-ups
Crashing or freezing apps
Slow performance
Corrupted or deleted files
Unexplained changes to your device or account settings
Reference: https://www.avast.com/c-computer-virus
