The global rate of computer virus infections has spiked dramatically in the last few years and isn’t showing any signs of decline. It is estimated that 27 million strains of viruses, spyware and other malware were created in 2014 alone, costing U.S households an average of 4.55 billion dollars worth of damages annually.

Gaining a better general understanding of computer viruses characteristics and behaviours, will help protect you against the damages they can cause.

So what is a computer virus?
A computer virus is a file or piece of code that’s able to replicate itself without your permission or knowledge, causing harmful effects like the destruction of your data and hard drive corruption.

Viruses are increasingly intuitive and can even be programmed to email themselves to the computers of your friends, family and coworkers. They can disguise themselves as email attachments, images or downloadable media.

How do you find out if your computer is infected with a virus?
Symptoms of a computer virus are generally noticeable and can include:
-    Random computer crashes
-    Slow down in overall computer performance and speed
-    Increase in pop ups and ads
-    Suspicious email activity

If your computer is experiencing any of these issues, downloading a reputable antivirus tool and running a full scan to remove the infection is your best bet to removing it and recovering your PC.

Now don’t start panicking!
Avoiding viruses doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply keep your computer and antivirus software current with the latest updates, run daily virus scans, try to be aware of recent threats and be vigilant when downloading files, opening email attachments and surfing the net.