We trust our computers with everything. We keep important information about them and blindly believe that we are safe. We depend on them so much that we cannot live our daily lives without them. It's terrifying to think that with a few simple lines of code, anyone can create a virus capable of erasing our entire digital lives. It is essential to understand how viruses work to better protect yourself from them. Just like its biological namesake, a virus is a small program designed to damage a computer. A virus is a type of malicious program. This means that it is software used to disrupt computer operations, collect sensitive information, or access private computer systems (Microsoft). Viruses can usually spread on their own. They are designed to install themselves and then self-replicate without any user intervention. When a virus replicates, it inserts copies into computer programs and files. These programs and files are called “infected”. Symptoms of a virus can range from computer slowdown to complete system crash. Most viruses often perform some type of harmful activity on infected hosts, such as taking up hard drive space, slowing down the central processing unit, deleting files, accessing private information, corrupting data or send spam to their contacts (Brainpop). Viruses cannot create themselves. They must be written and tested to ensure their proper distribution. People create viruses for many reasons. Some viruses are created simply out of curiosity. They cannot have any harmful effects and are intended for educational purposes only. Some people create them for thrills. They enjoy watching their virus wreak havoc on their victim's computer. Another reason is that the hacker makes money. Trojan horses... middle of paper ... The disadvantage of using a firewall is that a user cannot scan programs and files for malware. Additionally, there are rarely updates for firewalls to protect against newer and more complex viruses, because antivirus software is the recommended method of protection. Viruses are simple but deadly. They disguise themselves and spread without any instruction. They can email each other or travel over a shared internet connection. They are hidden from their victims as they slowly eat away at their computers. They are capable of compromising entire computer networks. As all of our personal information is stored on computers, it is essential that we keep it secure. Antivirus software is a wonderful tool that should be installed on every computer. Viruses can be destructive, but if we can understand how they work, we will be better able to protect ourselves from them..