Computer Viruses : A SearchMeSilly Guide

• Macro Viruses – This type of virus will attack any operating system and infect stored information like documents and worksheets. It embeds itself as a macro program which is executable from these files. They are said to account for 75% of the viruses which exist, many of which are harmless, but some carry a far greater threat with the potential to destroy the files on your computer.
   
• Hoax Viruses – as the name may suggest, as well as the genuine threat, there are warnings which do not relate to any real viruses. These messages are sent via e-mail, creating serious problems for mail servers and may desensitise people to the threat of genuine viruses. If you are in doubt, there are web sites which keep up-to-date with the latest viruses and virus hoaxes.
   
• Boot Sector Viruses – All disks, whether hard or floppy, have boot records which can be infected by a boot sector virus. This is an effective method of spreading as it guarantees the virus is activated when the system is started, or the disk is loaded. Typically you may receive errors messages or your system may fail to boot altogether.
   
• Multipartite Viruses – Once on your system, this type of virus can continue to reinfect, moving between a program and the boot sector.