What is a computer virus?
A computer virus is a piece of code that is secretly introduced into a system in order to corrupt it or destroy data. Often viruses are hidden in other programs or documents and when opened, the virus is let loose. Infected emails are often the carriers of viruses. Many Internet Service Providers (ISP's) scan emails as they are passed throught their servers, catching and eliminating many viruses. Some viruses can infect your computer simply by you opening a nefarious web page. According to research institute Sans.org, it only takes 20 minutes of unprotected web surfing before your computer becomes infected with a virus.
Many new computers come with either a trial version of an antivirus program or a full version, which usually expires after a set period of time. Common thought is that the paid version of antivirus programs are better than free versions but I have been using free versions for many years and rarely have an infection that cannot be easily removed. One of the main differences of the paid version of most antivirus program and the free version, when offered, seems to be the ability to schedule scans and perform regular updates. If you are attentive to these processes you will have a very effective antivirus program. Although, many free antivirus programs are now offering automatic updates and scan scheduling. I have listed some popular FREE antivirus programs below.
Another way to detect viruses is to do an online scan. This is where you can go to an online scan provider's website and they will scan your system through their website. You will probably have to allow them to download a small scanning application to your computer in order for them to scan your system. An online scan should not be used as a substitute for an installed antivirus program.
Consumersearch.com has some good reviews on many software applications. Click here to go there