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VIRUS Full Form

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Last updated date: 29th Mar 2024
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Computer Viruses and Malware


Aren't we all familiar with this word VIRUS? We are, but most do not know the virus's full form. You must have read about it in many places as something that is microscopic and causes health hazards. However, it is also a software program that is made to bug and indeed corrupts the software on your phones or computers.

 

Though we neglect them, it should not be so. The full meaning of the virus is Vital Information Resources Under Siege. If you want your pc to work correctly without any corruption, then it is better to install an antivirus on it.

The Disastrous Disadvantages of Computer Viruses

There is a long list of problems that can be caused by computer viruses. Once these are afflicted on your computer or phones, then the effects can be threatening. Let us have a look at some of the most common problems:

  1. The computer virus can affect the power rating that can cause a blast if neglected.

  2. Some of the most powerful viruses can affect the files on your computer and corrupt them. It may also cause them to erase from computer memory.

  3. The boot sector of your computer can be damaged as well.

  4. The hard drive of your computer can be threatened or completely deleted.

  5. These viruses can also prevent some of the programs from becoming non-responsive. Thus, directing them towards complete corruption.

  6. Hacking can be quickly done to steal the information from your PC so that it is transferred to the hacker's computer.

  7. If the virus is neglected, then unrequited messages and notifications can keep on popping up on your computer screen.

 

Unless you learn the full meaning of the virus, all these problems will not make any sense to you.

The Bugs that Threaten Your Computer

Do not neglect the following Vital Information Resources Under Siege (the virus full form) or malware for the safe working of your system:

  1. Boot sector viruses: The viruses that infect the floppy disks and master boot record (MBR) of hard disks are known as boot sector viruses. The boot section of a computer contains codes for starting the operating system of the computer.

  2. Multipartite viruses: These viruses pose a risk of cyber threat when they infect a computer system. These viruses attack both the boot sector and the executable files of the infected system.

  3. Stealth viruses

  4. Polymorphic viruses: these viruses appear in our system through spam and infected websites. These are file infectors that modify existing programs and are very difficult to detect.

  5. Browser hijacker

  6. Resident viruses: This type of virus saves itself in the memory of a computer and infects other files and programs very easily.

  7. Trojan horse: These are computer programs that pretend to be something that sneaks into your computer and delivers some sort of malware.

  8. Spam virus

  9. Zombies

  10. Computer Worms: Worms are viruses that do not require a host system to activate and they are capable of spreading across networks and also to systems connected to the network without the need for any user action.

What are the Requirements for a Computer Virus?

There are certain requirements for a computer virus to activate, that is, a computer virus requires a host program and a user action to transmit from one system to another system. A computer virus normally attaches pieces of its malicious code to other files or can even replace files outright with copies of itself.

Protecting computers from Virus

It is very essential to take relevant measures to protect computers and laptops from viruses. Certain steps can help safeguard your computers and laptops from viruses such as using antivirus protection and firewall on computers, installing anti-spyware software, and keeping them up-to-date. Also, one should regularly update their operating system and increase their browser security settings to prevent malware. Also, avoid using questionable and suspected websites and download software, data, or any other resource from trusted sites only. Also, carefully analyze file-sharing applications and free software before downloading them on your system. Delete messages that you suspect to be spam immediately and do not open messages that are from unknown senders as viruses often get downloaded on our system through mails and messages.

Certain Myths Related to Common Computer Virus

Computer Viruses are very common these days, but there are certain myths related to these viruses such as:

  1. Error messages appearing on computers are not necessarily an indication of virus infection, but can also appear due to faulty hardware or software bugs.

  2. Malware and viruses generally spread through blast emailing the contacts on a virus-infected computer, therefore, beware before you open any mail attachments.

  3. The viruses and worms don’t need to require user interaction to activate. Sometimes, as part of an automated process, viruses require activation of their host file but worms can execute, self-regulate and propagate freely without any human or automated trigger.

  4. Antivirus programs, though are highly comprehensive to control viruses, but they do not provide 100 percent security to your computers from any viruses.

Conclusion

These viruses (check the virus meaning) enter your computer without your knowledge and can corrupt the software or affect the information without any trace. Since the computer can detect its presence, it will notify you, and you should not neglect it. If you do not know what to do, then get in touch with someone who does and do the needful well in time. So it is very crucial to understand the virus' full form and meaning.


FAQs on VIRUS Full Form

1. How to Get Rid of Viruses?

The best way to keep your computer safe against viruses is to understand how a virus works and install an appropriate anti-virus. Many excellent and reliable anti-viruses are easily available and can be easily installed. To keep them effective it needs to be updated from time to time. This is the best and the easiest way to protect your computer from VIRUS attacks and losing out on valuable information. Also, never neglect the warnings that flash on your computer screen.

2. How do Viruses Enter Our Computers?

There are n-number of ways in which your computer can come under a virus attack.  The easiest way would be through an e-mail attachment while downloading a file or opening a website that is already bugged or has a VIRUS encrypted to it. There are many ways in which a virus can enter our computer system like electronic mails and their attachment, downloading content from the internet, browsing web pages from unknown sources, and installing unknown software releases from CD and disc sources.

3. Can They Cause Damage to Smartphones?

Yes. They definitely can corrupt your smartphones just the way they corrupt the computers. This leads to the stealing of data and malfunctions. Even your phone can be hacked to steal the data and that is why you must know what the virus stands for and how to tackle the same. Smartphone viruses have now become common to steal data and other relevant information stored in the devices. Thus, it is not always recommended to save much of your personal information on your smartphones.

4. How can I know that my phone is infected with a virus?

Certain signs can help you analyze whether your smartphone is infected with a virus or not. These signs include:

  • There might be unexpected charges on your phone bills because fraud applications tend to make money by sending premium text messages or phone calls using your phone.

  • Overbearing and intrusive adverts is another sign indicating that you may have adware on your phone.

  • The contacts on your phone may start receiving spam messages.

  • Your smartphone might slow down and show poor performance.

  • A malicious app can even download new applications on your phone. Therefore, if you see new applications appearing unexpectedly on your smartphone, it can be a sign of virus infection.

  • If certain apps on your smartphone are using abnormally high data, it might be due to a virus.

  • The battery of your smartphone may drain out too soon then it usually does. This is another sign of virus infection in your smartphone.

5. How can I protect my smartphone from any kind of virus?

 It is very essential to protect our electronic devices from viruses as in today's time, our devices contain a lot of information and thus, protecting them from malware is very necessary. Certain ways by which we can protect our smartphones from viruses are:

  1. The presence of a mobile security app such as Lookout can help you analyze which apps to download and from where they should be downloaded. The app catches these smartphone viruses efficiently.

  2. Download apps only from sites that you trust. You can also ensure this by checking the ratings and reviews to make sure that the sources can be trusted.