Computer Virus Essay Example for Free

Computer Virus Essay The emergence of technological innovations such as the advent of computer and computer programs, also paved way for the birth of certain viruses that can disrupt software programs. These viruses infect a program and allow it to spread from one computer to the others (â€Å"Viruses†). As it transfers from one computer to another, it leaves complications or ailments that like human viruses, has varying degrees of severity. Some are merely designed to annoy the computer user while others can destroy the entire computer hardware (Beal). Viruses may be categorized as a worm, Trojan or just a virus. A worm is quite similar to a virus, but unlike a virus that needs human intervention in order for it to spread, worms can spread on its own. It has the capacity to replicate itself and travel from one hardware to another through the transport features of the computer’s system. Because of its replicating capacity it poses harm as it can slow down the computer the moment it becomes multitude (Beal). A Trojan on the other hand does not replicate as viruses and worms do. They appear at first as some legitimate program or file but the moment it is ran in the computer it can create various damage. Sometimes they are made to annoy while other can seriously destroy the computer by deleting files or programs. It can also create backdoors that can give other users access to the system that may give away personal or confidential information (Beal). Most of the time, these malicious programs spread with human intervention. When viruses cling onto a file and was run in the computer, it automatically spreads in the system of that computer.Trojans spread in the same way, while worms replicate itself in the system, to another system and to another. Works Cited Beal, Vangie. 2007. The Difference Between a Computer Virus, Worm and Trojan Horse. Webopedia. 11 November, 2008 http://www. webopedia. com/DidYouKnow/Internet/2004/virus. asp. Brain, Marshall. n. d. How Computer Viruses Work. HowStuffWorks. 11 November 2008 http://computer. howstuffworks. com/virus2. htm. Viruses. n. d. Kasperskylab. 11 November 2008 http://www. kaspersky. com/virusinfo.