By L.A. Lorek. Many of the alerts turn out to be hoaxes. Rosenberger hosts the Computer Virus Myths page. The hysteria surrounding computer viruses warrants Rosenberger's attention. A computer virus is a set of unwanted instructions that are executed on your computer resulting in a variety of effects, including a hard drive crash.
Viruses can be devastating and cause widespread damage.
Countless e-mail gets circulated around cyberspace warning about the latest virus attack. Often it's difficult to distinguish the real virus threats from the jokes. On the Computer Virus Myths page, Rosenberger debunks the latest hoaxes. The letters began to appear early this year in e-mail boxes nationwide. The letters claim evil hackers plan to infect your computer with a virus, steal your password, charge phone sex to your credit card and release your Social Security number on the Internet if you don't forward the chain letter to 10 of your closest friends within 45 minutes.