Before we can comprehend how a computer virus works, it is important to realise what a virus does when it attacks the human body. Microorganisms such as viruses, are only able to divide within another living cell. Poor health occurs as a result of a viral infection and body cells are destroyed or damaged as a result.

Able to reproduce itself within another cell or body, the word virus is Latin for ‘poison’ and that is basically what it is - a ‘poison’, an example of an illness caused by a virus is the common cold. How does this relate to computers? The computer virus can be anywhere on your pc, usually hidden within a program, file or document.

Criminals, and other talented idiots with nothing better to do with their time, create these viruses and spread them to other people’s computers. Causing havoc is the main reason for doing this. Files and documents can be severely damaged when a computer virus enters the computer, similar to the effects of influenza upon the human body. Files and documents; such as word-processing documents, spreadsheets, emails, computer programs etc can have a computer virus spread through them. It can spread itself through removable storage devices such as memory sticks and floppy disks, it can spread itself through the Internet and through local computer networks. It is hard to detect because it is hidden and it can be unwittingly spread to other computers by the computer user.

Akin to a human virus that makes a person feel unwell, the computer virus works in a similar fashion within a computer. A ‘digital virus’ will literally make your computer ’sick’ and just what each type will do to your computer depends on what it has been programmed to do - some can be very harmful, while others are created to simply annoy. Examples of terms used to describe different types of computer viruses include Macro Viruses, Email Viruses and Trojan Horses. Taking appropriate safety precautions with regard to your computer will be easier once you have an understanding of what computer viruses are and how they work.