Understanding what a virus is when it occurs in a living form (such as a human body, an animal, or a plant) is necessary before we can understand what a computer virus is. Microorganisms such as viruses, are only able to divide within another living cell. Many illnesses and diseases are caused by it and it is characteristically damaging to the cell or body that it inhabits.

Viruses are toxins and are therefore toxic to the human cells, they divide within the body causing illnesses such as chickenpox and German measles. Whereas the human virus damages living cells, the computers files and hard disc can be harmed by the computer virus. The computer virus can be anywhere on your pc, usually hidden within a program, file or document.

The production and spread of these viruses is the responsibility of criminals and other knowledgeable idiots who have nothing worthwhile to do. Creating trouble and damage for every pc user is the sole purpose of this activity. Other computers, files or documents can be ‘infected’ by the computer virus, similar to a common virus like the flu (which spreads from one person to another). Files and documents can have a computer virus spread through them such as word-processing documents, spreadsheets, emails, computer programs etc. As well as through removable storage devices such as memory sticks and floppy disks, it can spread itself through the Internet and through local computer networks. It is hard to detect because it is hidden and it can be unwittingly spread to other computers by the computer user.

It works in a similar way to human viruses (like influenza) by making a person unwell. The amount of damage caused by a ‘digital virus’ is dependant upon what it has been instructed to do. Macro Viruses, Email Viruses and Trojan Horses. Taking appropriate safety precautions with regard to your computer will be easier once you have an understanding of what computer viruses are and how they work.