Computer Viruses

Computer Viruses

According to a reading activity titled Computer Viruses published in the website for students of English esl-classroom.com, a computer virus can be defined as an illegal, contagious and potentially damaging computer program created to infect or destroy other software by attaching itself to any software it reaches damaging the integrity of the stored data. Viruses can be transferred to or accessed by another computer system because they travel with the program that contains them. Nowadays, there are thousands of known computer viruses and represent a real threat.
Afterward, the reading explains that there are three principal kinds of viruses. A boot sector virus that infects the boot program used to start the system. When this virus is loaded into the computer’s memory it can extend to any floppy disk placed into the computer. A file virus inserts virus code into program files, and then it spreads to any program that accesses the infected file. A Trojan horse virus contains a hidden function that causes damage while appearing to perform a valid function. Some viruses freeze a computer system for a while and then display sounds or messages. Others contain time bombs which are programs that perform a task on a special date or logic bombs that perform a task when a certain action happens, such as an employee being finished. A worm is similar to a virus that copies itself again and again until no memory is available in the disk.
Consequently, antivirus programs, have been designed to perceive computer viruses and also can function to remove or repair infected programs and files. Some damaged files cannot be repaired and have to be substituted for no infected copy files. Finally, the procedure followed to prevent viruses is: using virus protection software, backing up the computer, scanning every floppy disk with a virus scanner and, checking all programs downloaded from the Internet or bulletin boards for viruses.

Personal Opinion

Yes, a virus can affect your computer and you yourself, the same fact of image that your files can be deleted from your computer by a virus, really produce a kind of despair. Everyone who uses the computer as a tool for his job really depends on it, so he or she needs to be free from any threat. Since I have been using a computer to support my tasks, I have thought that viruses programs and antivirus ones are not more but a part of the same game. Of course this is only a supposition where I am imagining a possible event. If I design a virus program, you will design an antivirus program and so on. All this could be done to pursue an objective, to sell for making money. In sum leaving those ideas apart, it’s necessary to install antivirus program so that we can avoid any problem with the computer system.

http://www.esl-classroom.com/reading/virus.html
Ubaldo Gandica