Cyberattacks will cost the world $10.5 trillion by 2025. It doesn’t matter if you have a large enterprise or stream content at home, you’re vulnerable to cyberattacks.
The only way to protect your network and privacy is to recognize the types of computer viruses. The more you know, the easier it is to protect yourself and your information.
Computer viruses lead to issues such as ID theft, fraud, and financial problems. You’ll have to spend time and money to clean them up.
Don’t get worried, get informed! Read on to learn about the types of computer viruses and how to know if your computer is infected.
Malware and Computer Viruses
Malware is a term that often gets confused with computer viruses. Malware is malicious software, which encompasses anything that compromises security.
Computer viruses are a type of malware. A computer virus is a program that gets installed on a device and replicates itself across different programs.
Other types of malware include phishing and ransomware attacks.
The purpose of any type of malware is the same. Hackers want to gain control of your device and steal sensitive data.
Denial of Service Attacks
Distributed Denial of Service Attacks (DDoS) are coordinated attacks by hackers. They use a computer virus or malware to take control of internet devices.
They use those devices to send traffic to a website or network. They want to overwhelm the network and shut it down.
According to https://visore.com/top-10-cyber-security-threats-2022/, if your network experiences slow or dropped connections, you might be under attack.
Internet of Things Attacks
Smart devices are everywhere. At home, they’re used to turn on the lights with voice commands. They’re coffee makers, kitchen appliances, and refrigerators.
In businesses like manufacturing, Internet of Things (IoT) devices get used for performing repetitive tasks that people would perform.
In both cases, smart devices can help you do more with less time and fewer resources. Since they’re connected to a network, they’re susceptible to cyberattacks.
Even your Smart TV can get infected with a computer virus.
A hacker would have to access your network to install the virus. You could inadvertently install the virus yourself and not know it.
Ways to Tell Your Computer Is Infected
There are a few tell-tale signs of a computer virus. The first is computer performance. If your computer seems really slow to start and open programs, it could be a computer virus.
Another warning sign is if your computer shuts down often. You might see unfamiliar programs installed, email notifications about password changes, and emails getting sent from your account.
Pull your computer off of the network and reboot it in safe mode. Run a virus scan and see if it catches the malicious code on your machine.
Know the Types of Computer Viruses
Knowing the types of computer viruses is the first step to protecting your network and most sensitive data. You can then protect all of the devices in your home and business.
Now that you know what the most common computer viruses are, check out the Technology section of the blog for more tech tips and insights.
