When my IS department tells me to update my virus protection, I usually ignore them. A computer virus is a program designed to replicate, most likely without the user's knowledge, and attach itself to files and applications. Virus creators are people with malicious intent. Sometimes they want to strike the computers of their former companies. The abundance of common applications like Microsoft Windows and Outlook has also made it easier for programmers to create viruses because knowing how applications are designed makes them easier to infect.
Viruses are sneaky.
They can come in an e-mail attachment from someone you know who doesn't even realize she sent it to you. Viruses can erase your hard drive, destroy files or even allow someone to control your machine remotely. One of the most famous viruses was the Love Bug virus, which spread through e-mail attachments in May 2000. The Love Bug infected 2.5 million to 3 million computers. Virus hoaxes clog mailboxes and waste users' time.