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What are Viruses & Spyware? |
What is spyware? Any software that covertly gathers user information through the user's Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet. What is a virus? In computer security technology, a virus is a self-replicating program that spreads by inserting copies of itself into other executable code or documents. A computer virus behaves in a way similar to a biological virus, which spreads by inserting itself into living cells. Extending the analogy, the insertion of the virus into a program is termed infection, and the infected file (or executable code that is not part of a file) is called a host. Both can be horribly damaging to your PC and without the proper protection, it can even happen to you. A great guide would be to set up an antivirus program as soon as possible!
Andy Holloway is a writer and webmaster for http://www.w3privacy.com, a security website that provides free antivirus tools. |
