Poduska defines a virus as any snippet of a program that copies itself in a computer.
Some viruses mutate, which complicates removal.
Most viruses are carried in floppy disks or in downloaded documents from the World Wide Web. Poduska said at the beginning of every semester, similar e-mail virus hoaxes are distributed. What many students don't realize is that computer viruses cannot be carried in an e-mail. However, viruses can be transmitted as an attachment to a message. All attachments should be saved and scanned for viruses before executing them, Poduska said.