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Can a virus infect my mouse? Discover how viruses enter your computer.
Viruses enter computers through the same communication
channels used to exchange information. These can be
classified into three groups: Internet, networked computers,
and removable disks. And no, computer viruses cannot
enter through the mouse.
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Internet |
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The Internet has become the most widely-used form of sending and receiving information.
Unfortunately, it also serves as the fastest way to spread a virus.
What this means is that although the Internet presents us with numerous ways to send information,
each one of these has its risks.
Some forms of information exchange include e-mail,
browsing web pages, transfer of files through FTP,
downloading
programs, chat
and newsgroups.
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Networks |
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A network is a group of interconnected computers (via cable, modem, routers,
etc.) that makes it easier for groups of people to work
together. Each computer that forms part of the network
can connect to all other networked machines, making it
possible to share information and resources (printers,
scanners, etc) without the need for a removable disk.
This makes working in groups easier but also offers a convenient channel
for viruses to spread: virus infection is more likely in networked computers than in standalone machines.
If one computer in the network gets infected, others connecting to it
will also become infected, causing a chain reaction that can paralyze the entire network.
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Removable disks |
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Removable disks are storage devices on which data is
stored in the form of files or documents. These disks
enable documents to be created on one computer and then
used on another. These types of storage devices are
floppy disks, CD-ROMs, DVDs and removable hard disks.
If any of the programs, files or e-mails saved on a disk are infected,
using this disk in another computer will spread the virus.
Before the Internet became the most popular form of
communication, exchange of floppy disks was the most
common form of spreading a virus. Today it is less usual
for viruses to spread through disk drives but it still
represents a significant risk.
For more information, go to
Entry points.
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