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Unfortunately,
even with anti-virus software installed, it is still very easy
to fall victim to a malicious attack. However, in most cases our
engineers are able to eliminate all viruses and spyware from
your computers without losing data, thereby helping you to
recover quickly.
What to do if you suspect a virus
If you suspect that you have a
virus, then stop doing anything that could be sensitive, such as
online banking or emailing. If possible, block all Internet
traffic, but if not, then disconnect your computers network
connection.
Next, run a full system scan using
your anti-virus application. This is useful even if you suspect
that your anti-virus software is out-of-date because it can help
remove some viruses without having to go online.
After the scan, quarantine any
viruses found because deleting the infected file(s) may corrupt
your operating system. Now follow any suggestions made by your
anti-virus software.
Finally re-run the scan and if your
system comes up as clean, then re-connect to the Internet,
update your virus pattern and re-run the full system scan.
Unfortunately,
not all viruses and spyware is as easy to remove as this, so you
may require some expert assistance from one of our support
advisors.
Types of virus
There are many different
types of virus. Below is a list of the most common:
-
Boot Sector - A Boot
Sector Virus infects the system area of a floppy or hard
drive, or the part that is accessed when your computer is
first turned on. Infection usually occurs when booting from
an infected disk.
-
File Infector Viruses
- Most of these viruses reside in the memory of a computer
and infect programs' .exe and .com files.
-
Master Boot Record (MBR)
- These viruses are similar to Boot Sector viruses. They
infect the Master Boot Record and prevent your PC from
booting.
-
Multi-partite viruses
- These viruses infect both the boot record and program
files.
-
Macro viruses - Macro
Viruses are prevalent in corporate environments where office
applications are used, usually Microsoft Office (Word and
Excel). They use a program's code to infect data files.
-
Trojan Horse Viruses -
These viruses do not replicate themselves. Instead, they
often pose as a harmless file that is downloaded from the
web or from an e-mail attachment. These programs can result
in the theft or destruction of data files. This type of
virus is commonly picked up from peer to peer file sharing
programs.
-
Worm Viruses - Worms
replicate themselves without using a host file and can
spread very quickly across the internet by releasing
documents it has infected.
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