Security software: Choosing the best antivirus software How computer viruses and malware spread

Viruses and malware

Before the internet boom of the early 1990s, most malware was spread by floppy disk. Transferring an infected file from one PC to another via an external storage device was the only real way to spread a computer virus.

While it’s still possible to transfer malware in a similar way (with USB memory keys replacing the now redundant floppy disk), these days the majority of malware uses the internet as its primary method of transmission.

Internet security threats

The web is a vast, global network of interconnected computers and is, therefore, the perfect platform for distributing malicious programs of all types.

Malware doesn’t just ‘appear’ on our PCs, however. In most cases malware comes disguised as something else - known as a Trojan - and a computer user will need to take some kind of action of their own in order to inadvertently expose their PC to a malware infection.

This could be anything from accidentally opening a rogue email attachment to clicking on something that looks like a perfectly innocent web link. Some malware can become installed on our computers without our knowledge when we install another program.

Protect yourself from viruses using a Best Buy security suite

By employing a healthy mix of scepticism and common sense it’s possible to avoid exposure to many types of malware altogether. Never open email attachments you are unsure of, never install programs from untrustworthy sources and avoid clicking on web links in emails where possible – even if the message looks like it come from an official source.

While all this is good practice, however, it’s no guarantee that something might slip past you and infect your computer or expose your private information to the wrong sort of individuals. As such, it’s vital to have the correct protection installed on your PC.