EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Viruses can infect many different types of files or programs-critical programs used by the operating system; document files such as Word or Excel; even specialized firmware programs tied to the computer’s hardware, like the Master Boot Record (MBR).

Detailed explanation-2: -Some viruses are designed specifically to destroy a file or application’s data. After infecting a system, an overwrite virus begins overwriting files with its own code. These viruses can target specific files or applications or systematically overwrite all files on an infected device.

Detailed explanation-3: -Most computer viruses are harmful and seek to destroy your data. A virus is a form of malware attached to another file or program, which can replicate and spread once human interaction initiates or opens the program. The majority of computer viruses target Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac computers.

Detailed explanation-4: -Viruses can damage data, destroy files, format hard drives, or make disks unreadable. A virus can enter your computer as an email attachment, in a downloaded file, or hidden on a zip drive or CD. It’s usually not obvious that a virus is present on a website, in an email or elsewhere.