Computer Viruses- 5 Common Myths

When it comes to viruses, malware and cyber attacks, people can get lost. With computers used in every office today, it’s important to be aware of viruses that can jeopardise the security of your files.
There are many myths to computer viruses that give false impressions of what is fact and what is fiction.

Here, we identify five of them:

Myth 1: Computers can infect themselves with Viruses

Despite common misconceptions, computers cannot contract viruses by themselves. Users of the computer with an issue will have to have physically opened an infected program or file or visited a site that hosts viruses, and downloaded it.

Myth 2: Error messages mean virus

Another common misconception is that when computers alert a user with an error message, it must be a virus. These errors are common in faulty hard drives, memory or virus scanners and can be what’s causing the issue. It’s more likely to be something other than a virus.

Myth 3: Firewalls will protect my networks from viruses

Many firewalls are misleading and don’t necessarily protect your networks from computer viruses. Some viruses are clever enough that they can turn off the firewall, allowing the possibility of malware attacks.

Myth 4: You will know almost immediately when your computer is affected

Viruses can easily go undetected for long periods of time, and may cause your computer to run more slowly over time. Others may shut computers down or cause regular pop-up ads.

Myth 5: Apple or Mac computers cannot get viruses

Virus writers are constantly developing codes that can affect all computers, so it’s worth recognising that you are not always safe, even if you are lead to believe your computer cannot contract a virus.

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