The Most Common Computer Problems, Part 2: Viruses And Malware

In the last article, I discussed hard drive errors and how they commonly cause issues for many computer users.  Today, I am going to reveal the second most common computer problem my clients are faced with: Viruses and malware.

Before discussing the problems associated with viruses/malware, it would help to know the definition of each one in computer terms.  We'll first define what a "virus" is.

From Microsoft:

"A computer virus is a small software program that spreads from computer to computer and interferes with computer operation.  A computer virus may corrupt or delete data on a computer, use an e-mail program to spread the virus to other computers, or even delete everything on the hard disk."

Viruses and malware are destructive (image credit: Victor Habbick)

Computer viruses are easily the most prevalent form of malicious software today.  According to Symantec, a company who produces a popular anti-virus product, in 2008 there were over one million viruses in circulation.  And that number is still increasing by the day.  Some viruses are generally harmless, while others are downright destructive to PCs.  While one virus's only function may be to infect a single computer, many others contain code to attempt to spread itself to other computers over a network of PCs or over the internet.  Generally, viruses are acquired by opening suspicious e-mail attachments or downloading illegal software, although even legitimate products can contain a virus as well.  Once a computer is infected, the virus usually tries to avoid detection and removal by various means.  The sheer amount of viruses in circulation today, combined with their affinity to removal avoidance makes viruses one of the most common (and sometimes difficult) problems to deal with.


On the other hand, there is another form of malicious software that has been dubbed "malware."  Technically, viruses are included in the term malware, but there are many pieces of software that are intent on causing disruption without being a virus.

Malware is usually designed to collect information without user consent, although this is not always the case.  Malware can take the form of software, or it can be in the form of a "script" on a website.  Sometimes malware can even be a little bit of code injected into perfectly legitimate software.  Whatever the case, the intent of malware is generally to steal sensitive information, disrupt the normal functions of a computer, and/or to just annoy the computer user.  As is with viruses, malware is generally spread through the internet or e-mail.  Along with viruses, some common forms of malware include spyware, adware, trojans and rootkits.  Each have a specific function, but all of them are intrusive and disruptive.

AV software protects your PC (image credit: Victor Habbick)

With so many viruses and malware active today, an plethora of companies have developed software to combat this growing threat.  Anti-virus and anti-spyware companies release updates on a daily basis to detect and remove the latest batch of malware hitting the internet.  A large number of software solutions are now including code that tries to preemptively search for new viruses without actually being in the software database.  This means that some anti-virus software can actually detect and remove certain malware before it is even "officially" discovered by software technicians.

So with such advanced detection techniques and a multitude of various anti-virus/anti-malware products, why are viruses and malware such a common issue with most of the people who hire me to fix their computer?

The answer is simple.  Most people don't actively update and maintain their AV software until there is a problem, and by that time it may be too late.  

Many of my clients have had AV software pre-installed on their computer when they purchased it.  As such, they assume that will be all the protection they need.  In reality, most AV software will only detect and remove the latest threats for a few months and then require a subscription renewal (which costs more money) before it will update itself to catch the newer malicious software.  Understandably, most people ignore the warning to renew their subscription (who wants to spend $30 on a "virtual" product?) and then contract a newer virus that won't be detected or removed.  With no defense to deal with, the virus is easily able to duplicate itself, interfere with normal computer function and spread itself to other computers.  Once a computer is infected, it is generally far more difficult to remove than it is to stop it from ever infecting the computer in the first place--or preventative maintenance.

What is the solution to all this?  Multiple layers of protection combined with a basic understanding of how to avoid potential malware risks is usually all it takes to stay malware-free.  Having more than one piece of anti-virus/anti-malware software is essential, as no single application can protect against every threat--despite what the AV software companies want you to believe.  Learning how to browse the web safely is a difficult undertaking, especially among those who are prone to be "click-happy," meaning they click on almost any link that sounds interesting, appealing or enticing.  However, practicing safe habits while surfing the web is the easiest way to prevent viruses and malware from infecting your computer.

Keep your PC secure (image credit: jscreationzs)

In a future article, I will share some of my personal recommendations for anti-virus/anti-malware programs and show you how to remove malicious software from a computer that has already been infected.  I will also demonstrate how to safely surf the web and keep viruses/malware at bay.

I hope you enjoyed this part of the series of the most common computer problems.

Read Part 3: Hardware Issues