Viruses are undesirable programs that damage computer files and processes and are potentially a huge breach of privacy.
I will talk about 4 extremely common viruses and how to get rid of them if you have a contaminated device.
Generally speaking, it is good practice to not fall victim to viruses altogether by avoiding downloading files from unregistered/unknown developers through the internet. I personally, make it a point to avoid downloading torrent files and never access http websites. Keep an eye out for the ‘s’ after ‘http’, it could make a world of difference. Keeping the above in mind would reduce the chances of you being a victim to a virus.
Resident Virus
The resident virus sets up shop in the system’s memory (RAM) and slows your laptop down significantly. If the host application is completely shut down, the virus will still run in the background. Sometimes the resident virus does massive damage quickly and is easy to notice. Other times, the virus spreads widely and may go unnoticed for a large duration of time.
The resident virus is very difficult to get rid of. Due to how deep it is embedded into the system, finding an antivirus that would remove this is tough. For more stubborn versions of this, it may be necessary to call in experts to remove the virus before resorting to resetting the device as a guaranteed remedy.
Multipartite Virus
One of the most dangerous and harmful viruses for your computer is a multipartite virus. This virus infects executable files and may even infect the RAM similar to a resident virus. The virus works to attack both components at the same time, making it one to watch out for.
An antivirus is your knight in shining armour. Because the virus attacks your files and your memory, it is very difficult to manually trace the virus and is best done through an antivirus. To avoid spreading the virus to multiple devices, all files that have been transferred from the infected device to others via USB should be deleted.
Browser Hijackers
Browsers hijackers change the settings of the user without their permission and expose the user to unwanted websites, advertisements and sometimes even pop-ups. Browser hijackers normally come in the form of free software online and sometimes even unverified browser extensions.
Reinstallation of the infected browser(s) may allow for the browser hijacker to not latch on to the re-installed version. It is further advised to uninstall the files that brought the hijackers along with them. In some more advanced versions of the virus, the harms of the virus may be seen even if all browsers are closed and initiate pop-ups all over the screen. In such a situation, it is advisable to reinstall the operating system.
Overwrite Virus
As the name might suggest, the overwrite virus edits existing files and overwrites it with absolutely random and useless data. This is a virus that you absolutely do not want on your work computer as in it’s worst form it is also capable of completely deleting files with little to no hope of recovery.
The overwrite virus is treatable by any standard antivirus and would not require a hard reset of your device no matter the severity of the situation. It would be advisable to delete files that introduced the virus in the system as the virus is a form of malware.
Takeaway
Antiviruses do not discriminate. We have all ignored getting an antivirus set up on our devices. It’s clearly a good investment to protect your daily driver and privacy especially in a digital world like today’s where online safety is a rising concern. Stay Safe!
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