IL Introduction A number of different programs are written by malicious hackers with the intent of disruption or destruction of another individual's work efforts and computer files.
Computer viruses get their name from their biological counterparts, true viruses.
The virus can manifest itself in several ways including signs on the screen regarding its existence, erasure of memory or destruction of hard drive contents. Estimates of the total number of computer viruses vary dramatically. The majority of harmful viruses are written for PCs, since the code requirements to successfully execute a PC program are less exacting than those of Macintosh. Software companies responded to the virus problem by developing a number of anti-viral programs. Since the initial virus programs were written, a number of more sophisticated viral programs have been developed, requiring regular update of anti-viral software for best protection.