However, viruses can be spread just as easily by other means. Your computer can contract a virus when you execute an infected program or boot from an infected diskette. It can also contract a virus if you download an infected file from the Web or open an infected email attachment. However, your computer cannot get a computer virus from surfing the Web, using a newsgroup, or joining an online service. If left undetected, viruses can wreak havoc on your computer and your data.
Most computer viruses are tedious to clear up.
Unfortunately, viruses change constantly, which makes it harder to catch them. Generally, the best way to protect your system is to install and use anti-virus software. There are three types of anti-virus software on the marketactivity monitors, change detectors, and scanners. VirusScan scans all downloads, email attachments, floppy disks, shared files, boot sectors, and files. It also lets you customize the scanning process so that it does not interrupt your work flow.