Computer viruses are programs (usually with the file extension .exe) that have the ability to clone themselves. They can be attached to any kind of file or download and they are usually spread by files being copied and passed on to other people, or many people downloading a file. The reason that they are called viruses is that they spread in much the same way as viral diseases. Your computer can ‘catch’ a virus from an infected CD or disk, an email or attachment that you open, or by downloading a file or program from the world wide web. Sometimes they can even be picked up just by visiting a web site.

A virus may be programmed to do almost anything from displaying a message or picture on your screen, to corrupting your files or even destroying all of the data on your hard drive. Even if a virus is not destructive it will be an irritation, often slowing down the speed of your computer. Most viruses are developed by people who enjoy annoying others or see it as a challenge to their programming skills.

Virus removal is usually possible although at worst you may have already lost everything that you had stored on the computer, so it is much better to shield your computer from them. Just as in dealing with human diseases, prevention is better than cure. Here you can find 10 tips for preventing computer viruses.

When you think about all the damage that computer viruses can do, I am sure you will see that an anti virus program is a necessity. This is something that you should budget for in your computer purchase or running costs. Beware of free anti virus software because unless it is just a free trial, it usually has some disadvantages like inefficiency, instability or infrequent updates. If you do not have almost daily updates, you will not have protection against the latest viruses that are constantly being released onto the internet.

Of the major anti virus program companies, McAfee is probably the best known and I give it my highest recommendation. Some other major software is known for being incompatible with operating systems or other programs that you may use, but McAfee Virus Scan Plus has high compatibility. It also has very frequent updates, sometimes more than one a day, responding to the latest viruses. You can set it to update automatically when you are online. Virus Scan Plus also offers a firewall to protect you against hackers, and anti spyware. This will give your computer the latest protection against computer viruses at all times while you relax and enjoy all the benefits of the internet.