#Cyprus On The Undernet IRC Network!: HOW A COMPUTER VIRUS IS CAUGHT

A virus is a computer program that piggybacks on other program files, overwrites the boot sector on a floppy disk or hard disk with infected code, or attaches itself as a macro to a Microsoft Word or Excel file.Β A virus is activated when the program it is attached to is launched.Β Computer Viruses replicate themselves, spreading to other computer systems.Β Some viruses are simply nuisances; others can actually destroy data. SCANNING - Because new viruses are constantly emerging, antivirus programs use a variety of strategies to identify them.Β Some major ones include:

1. Signature scanning
The antivirus program scans the files on your system and compares them with files in a library of known viruses.Β You can select the types of files to scan, their locations, and when you want the scan to occur.

2. Real - Time Protection
To protect your system at all times, the antivirus program includes a memory - resident applet that sits in the background and watches for virus like behavior or code that matches a virus signature.

3. Heuristics
A new virus may not have a telltale signature already recognized by the antivirus program.Β To spot such viruses, the antivirus program uses rules or algorithms that identify suspicious-looking programs.

CLEANING - When an antivirus program detects a virus, you have several options.

1. Delete the infected file
In network environments, many administrators configure client PCs simply to delete the file rather than risk spreading the virus to other parts of the network.

2. Clean it
Most files can be disinfected or cleaned of the virus code without having the rest of their content destroyed.Β This is a good solution for macro viruses, because it saves the Word or Excel documents.

3. Send it to the vendor
Some antivirus programs also let you submit suspicious files to their virus labs.Β If a file is infected, your vendor's lab posts an update containing a signature for that new virus.