Computer viruses become a threat to most computer users. But have you ever wonderedwhere do computer viruses come from“? Perhaps with this knowledge you can enjoy all the benefits of your PC without becoming a victim of viruses.

Behind every virus there is a computer programmer. They create viruses for a variety of reasons. It may be to show ability. They can be enthusiastic students who seek the admiration of their peers. But most of the time viruses are created by cyber criminals. They are designed to steal or copy your personal data for financial gain. It can be to gain access to passwords or credit card details. It may be using your Internet connection without your knowledge for illegal purposes. Or it may be just to bombard you with spam and fake ads.

So viruses can be just annoying or they can lead to financial ruin. Either way, they are something we all need to get away from and we can do that by getting to know a little more about them.

The most common source of virus infection is of course the Internet, this will not come as a surprise and it also does not mean that you have to stop accessing the Internet. Most people who unknowingly catch viruses from the web do so because they like to click. By this I mean that they will click and download whatever is offered without knowing whether or not they can trust the source.

Here’s a simple tip: Before you click a link, check its status bar (usually bottom left) and see where it’s pointing. Also make sure you don’t install any programs unless you are sure you know what they are and where they came from.

Email and email attachments are the second most common tool used to spread computer viruses. Email attachments should be handled with great caution and you should not open any attachment that comes with an email from an unknown sender. If you have a good antivirus package, you will be able to scan attachments before viewing them. Make sure you do this even if it’s from a friend. They may have unknowingly sent you a virus.

Another very common way the virus spreads is as part of a package with crackers and key generators. These are usually offered on Peer-to-Peer networks that have illegal file-sharing programs. The victim would be lured with freeware downloads only to find out that she was installing a virus on her own system.

The main thing is not only to have a good antivirus on your computer, it is to keep it updated because new viruses are created all the time. Once again, a good antivirus suit will be regularly updated.

Hopefully this has answered the burning question “where do computer viruses come from?”. Just good antivirus software and a bit of computer savvy is all you really need to stay safe from computer viruses.