How did I get this Computer Virus?
When you know your computer is working the way it should be it could possibly be
an error with hardware or a gliche in the operating system but more often than
not it’s a virus. Viruses come in many forms and names such as Worms, Trojans
and Malware and can do varying levels of damage. There’s a
variety of ways you could have got this virus such as opening a suspicious
attachment from an email or even visiting the wrong website. It’s almost
impossible to keep track of all the potential threats out there and how you can
get caught out by them which is why you need antivirus software.
Antivirus software is designed specifically to prevent, detect and remove a
wide selection of viruses. Major vendors of this kind of software include
Symantec (under the brand Norton), McAfee and Trend Micro. They each have
similar types of packages although Norton is considered the market leader with
packages such as Norton Antivirus 2009, Norton Internet Security
and Norton 360. To understand more about the options check out the
Antivirus 2009 site.
Beyond just antivirus software it’s worthwhile to explore also getting firewall software that can either be installed as a standalone piece of software or as a bundle like with Norton Internet Security and Norton 360. Even Windows Vista has its own firewall software but we recommend best go with a software package designed specifically for protecting you from network virus threats.
While often less damaging than malware you can also inadvertently get Spyware or Adware which often are harmless but can deliver annoying popups which force or try to convince you to accept a special offer or promotion. Again antivirus software like Norton Antivirus 2009 can remove this as well as other specialised software like LavaSoft’s AdAware.