Computer Virus and its Types

 A computer virus is a kind of malicious computer program, which when executed, replicates itself and inserts its own code. When the replication is done, this code infects the other files and program present on your system.

These computer viruses are present in various types and each of them can infect a device in a different manner.

In this article, we shall discuss in detail what is a computer virus and what are its different types.

Note: Also read -What is an Anti-Virus and Its Types

Types of Computer Virus

Discussed below are the different types of computer viruses:

Boot Sector Virus – It is a type of virus that infects the boot sector of floppy disks or the Master Boot Record (MBR) of hard disks. The Boot sector comprises all the files which are required to start the Operating system of the computer. The virus either overwrites the existing program or copies itself to another part of the disk.

Multipartite Virus – A virus which can attack both, the boot sector and the executable files of an already infected computer is called a multipartite virus. If a multipartite virus attacks your system, you are at risk of cyber threat.

Overwrite Virus – One of the most harmful viruses, the overwrite virus can completely remove the existing program and replace it with the malicious code by overwriting it. Gradually it can completely replace the host’s programming code with the harmful code.

Polymorphic Virus – Spread through spam and infected websites, the polymorphic virus are file infectors which are complex and are tough to detect. They create a modified or morphed version of the existing program and infect the system and retain the original code.

File Infector Virus – As the name suggests, it first infects a single file and then later spreads itself to other executable files and programs. The main source of this virus are games and word processors.

Spacefiller Virus – It is a rare type of virus which fills in the empty spaces of a file with viruses. It is known as cavity virus. It will neither affect the size of the file nor can be detected easily.

Direct Action Virus – When a virus attaches itself directly to a .exe or .com file and enters the device while its execution is called a Direct Action Virus. If it gets installed in the memory, it keeps itself hidden. It is also known as Non-Resident Virus.

Resident Virus – A virus which saves itself in the memory of the computer and then infects other files and programs when its originating program is no longer working. This virus can easily infect other files because it is hidden in the memory and is hard to be removed from the system.

Macro Virus – A virus written in the same macro language as used in the software program and infects the computer if a word processor file is opened. Mainly the source of such viruses is via emails.

How To Protect Your Computer from Virus?

The most suitable way of making your computer virus-free is by installing an Anti-virus software. Such software help in removing the viruses from the device and can be installed in a computer via two means:

·        Online download

·        Buying an Anti-virus software and installing it