Why computer virus were created

Malware includes viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware and more. How does malware infect your computer in the first place? A virus or other malware can get to your computer through email attachments, applications you download, and from clicking on links to compromised or malicious websites. Another common way that viruses and malware spread is through USB devices. So who creates viruses? Many viruses and other malware are intended to make money either by tricking you into buying and downloading software, or by forcing you to look at ads or web pages.

Even with a full Internet security software suite, there are still more precautions that can be taken. Users should still be wary about any unfamiliar attachments or links via email, as well as social media.

Always run system updates, which usually repair security flaws and can protect the computer against a variety of online threats. Not only should you run the updates for your operating system, you should also update programs such as Java and Flash, as lots of hackers tend to prey on computers with outdated versions of these programs. All rights reserved. Firefox is a trademark of Mozilla Foundation. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

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Safety for every device. Learn More. Brain Prior to , most viruses were mere annoyances and virtually harmless. Keep Yourself Protected Contrary to popular belief, traditional antivirus software alone will not fully protect you from threats. Join today. Cancel anytime. Start Free Trial. Editorial note: Our articles provide educational information for you. NortonLifeLock offerings may not cover or protect against every type of crime, fraud, or threat we write about.

Our goal is to increase awareness about cyber safety. These keyloggers will record all of the information that you enter into your computer. This includes your passwords, credit card numbers and bank account details.

Implementation of such intrusive techniques allows the attacker to gather an incredible amount of data. This information can be used for identity theft purposes. An infinite series of viruses found over the net are designed for different objectives, some of these objectives are listed below:. Viruses usually gain access to the victim's computer following an accidental download by the computer user who is ignorant about the source of the program, such as a file sent from an instant messenger friend or email attachment.

Once the host computer catches the infection known as a zombie computer , the Trojan opens up a private channel and awaits orders from its "Zombie Master". The hacker gains the control of each of these infected computers and sends out a tiny bit of information to a web server. As there are potentially thousands of computers doing this at once, it can overload the server and crash it.