| Computers
can get sick just like you and I can. Some people
write software
which can be transferred from one computer to the
other and do things which can be harmless, annoying,
or very damaging to your computer. Be very careful
when getting email or attachments from people you
don't know.
A virus is a
piece of programming code usually disguised as
something else that causes some unexpected and
usually undesirable event. A virus is often designed
so that it is automatically spread to other computer
users. Viruses can be transmitted as attachments to
an e-mail note, as downloads, or be present on a
diskette or CD. The source of the e-mail note,
downloaded file, or diskette you've received is
often unaware of the virus. Some viruses wreak their
effect as soon as their code is executed; other
viruses lie dormant until circumstances cause their
code to be executed by the computer. Some viruses
are playful in intent and effect ("Happy
Birthday, Ludwig!") and some can be quite
harmful, erasing data or causing your hard disk to
require reformatting.
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