There is a villain in the computer industry that can strike fear into any company or individual that encounters it. It has been wreaking havoc in both the business and personal computer world for many years. Its frequency and intensity of attack is on the rise. It's the computer virus

A virus is a computer program designed to enter your computer and tamper with your files without your knowledge. Once the program containing the virus is open, the activated virus can not only infect other programs and documents on your computer, it can duplicate and transmit itself to other computers that are connected to yours, just like a physical virus can move from one human host to another.

Where do viruses come from? Every virus is created by an author with a different motive-but all virus builders feel their actions are justified. For some, a killer virus is the ultimate technical challenge, like climbing a mountain. For others, creating viruses is a form of self-expression. Some disgruntled employees, consumers or citizens turn to virus building as revenge for perceived injustices. And though it's a frightening thought, some viruses are built and aimed by legitimate (but disreputable) businesses to weaken competitors. Other virus authors want to make their mark in Internet history; these writers get a thrill out of seeing their virus cause damage enough to attract news headlines both online and on the evening news.

Today's viruses are far more potent than the beginner versions we saw several decades ago. Viruses may be sent by opening email attachments, clicking on spam, visiting corrupt websites and links online, opening spreadsheets or even the original method-infected disks. But the Internet is now the superhighway for virus transmission.

How can you tell if your computer has a virus? There are warning signs that your computer may be infected with a virus. For minor viruses, you may encounter strange messages, images, noises or music on your computer. An infected computer may have less memory available, or you may notice name changes. A computer infected with a virus may be missing programs, or files may malfunction. If you encounter any of these characteristics on your computer, you are most likely experiencing an attack from a virus.

What do I do if I find out that I have a virus on my computer? Know that it's not the end of the world. As a courtesy, contact everyone (by phone, preferably) you have been connected by email to warn them possible exposure to the virus right away.

Antivirus software is must-have protection. This review picks the best antivirus software based on its virus detection abilities, features, and breadth of protection. Whether you're seeking total system coverage or an ala carte solution, each of the following products provides superb virus protection for Windows-based PCs. Because every system is unique, evaluate several of these antivirus products to find the software best suited for your PC and your level of experience.

Antivirus company Sophos has released an updated version of its virus-protection software for the Mac, the company announced on Wednesday.

You've seen the alarming news reports and read the Loveletter and Melissa articles in e-zines. Maybe one of your friends has been victimized by a virus infection, and you?ve seen what it took to repair the damage. Now you?ve decided that it?s time to buy anti-virus software. How do you know what to buy? What?s the best software for your use? Will you be really protected? How much will it cost?

HP announces new antivirus concept for servers HP will sell, from next year onwards, software for its servers that will look for virus-like behaviour and then 'throttle' the relevant process