A computer virus is a self-replicating computer program written to alter the way a computer operates, ... for example—some viruses are benign or merely annoying. Skip to main content.

The virus attacks the BIOS chip on the computer, effectively paralyzing your entire PC. Melissa David L. Smith, 31, named his virus after a stripper he knew in Florida.

Computer virus symptoms. How can you tell if a virus has slipped past your defenses? With some exceptions, like ransomware, viruses are not keen to alert you that they’ve compromised your computer.

If you use a computer, read the newspaper, or watch the news, you will know about computer viruses or other malware. These are those malicious programs that once they infect your machine will ...

Origins: This warning about e-mail messages with an attached Microsoft PowerPoint file named "Life is Beautiful" which carries a computer-destroying virus is a hoax, one that has been with us ...

Your computer may contain viruses, in order to keep your computer and e-mail account safe, please, follow the instructions. Please, read the attach for further details. ... For example, an AOL ...

An example of a malicious ad provided by the FTC. ... "If you get a pop-up, call, spam email or any other urgent message about a virus on your computer, stop.

Computer viruses such as W32/Sality also use this strategy, ... It’s a nightmare for security analysts, because every replicated sample is significantly different from its predecessor.

He said the virus is an example of a scam known as "ransomware.""Ransomware is a piece of software that has your computer hold you hostage," Yanov said.Yanov said victims usually get the virus by ...