Last updated: July 27, 2023
Do you think your computer is safe from computer viruses? Think again !
Computer viruses are becoming more and more sophisticated and can cause considerable damage in no time. They can steal your sensitive information, crash your computer, and even disrupt vital business operations.
Faced with this growing threat, computer security becomes essential.
Therefore, it is important to understand how a computer virus works, but also how to protect yourself from it. This is precisely the aim of this article which will help you understand them better. In addition, we will help you protect yourself from future attacks using software, Intego anti-virus !
What are computer viruses capable of?
In this first part, we will explore the different types of computer viruses that can affect our computers and mobile devices. We will see the characteristics and potential consequences of each type, as well as ways to detect and eliminate them.
It is crucial to know this information in order to be able to take adequate protective measures and protect our important data.
Types of Computer Viruses
Let it be said, there is a large multitude of computer viruses that exist on the net. Each has its purpose, as well as its operation. So, to be clearer, we have classified the different types of computer viruses according to the objectives they will seek to accomplish.
- Ransomware virus : This type of virus encrypts user files and demands payment to unlock the data.
- Trojan virus : This type of virus allows an attacker to remotely access the infected computer.
- worm virus : This type of virus spreads quickly through computer networks, using the infected computer's resources to reproduce.
- Adware : This type of virus displays intrusive advertisements on the infected computer, slowing down the computer performance significantly.
- spy virus : This type of virus collects personal information from the infected computer, such as passwords and credit card information.
- Viruses seeking to hijack the use of your computer : This type of virus uses the resources of the infected computer to perform tasks such as mining cryptocurrencies without the user's permission.
How do computer viruses spread?
Now that we have seen the different types of viruses, it is time to take a look at their spread and it all starts with what we call a point of entry. This is how the virus will enter your computer.
There are several options for this, but the purpose remains generally the same. It is usually you who will authorize entry by downloading or opening a file that hides this famous virus. Of course, this is most of the time unintentional, but it is very often the human who will be responsible for the infection.
Here are some of the most common ways viruses can spread:
- By email.
- Through social networks.
- By the downloads.
- Through shared networks.
- By external devices.
The consequences of computer viruses
As for the consequences of infection by a computer virus, they can be multiple. As we told you when talking about the different types of viruses, there are several that each have their uses.
However, it can be noted that viruses damaging your hardware are not the most widespread. Indeed, today, it is often software to hijack your PC or collect personal information that will be used.
For what ? Well simply because it is the software that will be the most profitable for pirates. To actively fight against these threats, there is a very simple solution, it is to protect yourself with an antivirus.
How to protect your machine with Intego Antivirus?
Yes, as often when there is a problem, people have worked on the subject and found solutions. Here, we advise you to install software like Intego Antivirus to protect yourself. In addition, it's on sale right now !
How does Intego antivirus work?
Intego Antivirus works using multiple methods to protect devices from online threats.
First, it uses a database of known virus signatures to detect and block viruses, malware and Trojans.
Additionally, Intego uses machine learning techniques to learn suspicious behaviors and block them in real time. Concretely, it is able to tell you that a particular file you are going to download potentially contains a virus, this is what we call active protection.
It also performs heuristic analysis to detect potential threats that might not be present in its database.
Intego Antivirus can also perform full system scans to uncover hidden threats and eliminate them.
Finally, Intego offers additional protection against Phishing, spyware and unwanted pop-ups by blocking malicious websites and protecting sensitive information.
How to use Intego antivirus?
To use Intego, you need to follow these steps:
- Download and install Intego on your computer Windows 7 or higher or on a Mac device by following the instructions provided.
- Once installed, launch Intego. You should see the application interface.
- Click the " Analysis » to launch a full scan of your system.
- Choose the type of analysis you want to do. In our case, we are going to do a full scan of our machine. So let's choose "Full Virus Scan”.
- Intego will then scan your computer for any malware or other potential threats.
- If Intego detects a threat, you'll see a message informing you of the situation and giving you options for removing it.
- Click on “Remove” option to remove the threat from your computer. If you want to know more about the threat in question, you can click Analyze report.
- Once the threat is eliminated, run a scan again to make sure your computer is now clean and safe.
Subsequently, it is important toenable real-time protection to run automatically and perform regular background scans to keep your computer safe all the time.
Key Features of Intego Antivirus
The good news is that with Intego, you'll be able to do these scans in more ways than one. The first are full scans which take a little longer, but are the most complete.
If you regularly service your machine with scanners, there is no need to do this every time. For example, you can alternate with fast scanners which are a little less precise, but much faster.
Finally, do you want to check certain files in particular without having to do a full scan?
No worries, you can run a custom scanner on Intego. So you will have a choice. Besides that, you can even schedule your scanners directly from the software so that they run during the night for example.
How do you know if your computer is infected?
There are several signs that can tell you that your computer is infected with a virus.
Your computer may slow down, pop-ups may pop up constantly, your web browser may be redirected to malicious websites, or you may even receive strange messages from your contacts.
Watch this article to know in detail how to identify an infected computer.
If you notice any of these symptoms, it's time to take action to protect your computer.
How to react in case of infection by a computer virus?
Now that you have understood how viruses work and how to fight against them, there is one more point to discuss, how to react following an infection.
Here are actionable solutions to deal with a computer virus infection:
- Insulation: : Immediately turn off your computer and disconnect it from all internet connections to prevent the virus from spreading.
- Analysis : Run a full scan of your computer using Intego and wait patiently.
- Cleaning : Once the scanner has passed, remove the viruses and restart a second scanner, because sometimes some viruses hide well.
- Catering : If cleaning did not resolve the issue, you can restore your system to an earlier point or completely reset or reinstall your device as a last resort.
Once the threat has been resolved, we will advise you to change your passwords to avoid unpleasant surprises. Next, update your operating system and software.
Also try to find out where the virus could come from and if necessary pass the information on to other potential victims.
Conclusion
That's it, after reading this computer guide, you should be more able to easily recognize a computer virus on your computer. So you can make the right decisions quickly.
But to avoid as many problems as possible, we will strongly advise you to be uncompromising about how you are going to fight against viruses. Because yes, there are no secrets in this particular area.
A well-maintained computer that will have the right to virus scans regularly, it is a computer that will be less likely to have problems with viral infections. So all that remains is to get started as they say!