- Virus-protection software is more commonly known as anti-virus software. This is software specifically made for defending a computer from viruses (hence the name anti-virus) and other malicious types of threats. It is necessary to have virus-protection software installed on your machine even if you are not using the Internet or email.
- Virus-protection software scans and analyzes information and data. It looks for infected files, viruses and malware. When the software finds something on the computer that is unwanted, the program disinfects it. The software sends an alert to make you aware of what is threatening your system. Usually, the program will give you an option to remove the threat.
- The history of viruses can be traced back to as early as when the modern computer was created. In 1966, a virus known as "the Brain," created in Pakistan, infected data on disks. The first known Trojan was PC-Write. In 1988, the Morris worm became one of the first worms spread using the Internet, infecting 6,000 computers. As the popularity PCs grew, along with Internet and email usage, viruses were more easily spread and transferred. The infamous LoveLetter or Lovebug virus was one of the most widely spread through email, posing itself as a love letter. As soon as the reader opened email, it infected the computer. Because of the proliferation of these types of threats, virus-protection software was created to combat the onslaught.
- There are many different types and brands that you can buy to protect your system. Some brands include Kaspersky, Norton, McAfee, Active Virus Shield, ZoneAlarm and F-Secure. The most effective software updates itself with new virus terms. This means that whenever there is a new outbreak of a virus or malicious software, your virus-protection software will be prepared for it and will be able to identify and defend against it.
- You must have some kind of defense if you use a PC, especially if you use Internet or email, which most of us do. If you are running your computer without an anti-virus software, or if you are running it with outdated software, it is extremely dangerous to your system. You run the risk of losing all of your data, having your personal information stolen and having your computer system destroyed.
