Yes, viruses can enter your computer in several ways, such as by using an email attachment, during Internet file downloads, or even after a visit to a contaminated site.
Maybe you have lived a rock, or in a coma, for the whole history of computers connected to the Internet by email (ie 25 + years)?
Yes, in fact, email is the main way to get in touch with malware (malware is the umbrella term for all kinds of malicious SoftWARE, of which a “virus ” is just a category.
There are some ways this can happen:
- A malicious part sends you an email with an attached file. You, the curious recipient, want to know what is in the annex as if it were a wrapped gift on your birthday if you know that the person you think sent you the email, or not. Unfortunately, an attached file can transport the virus directly to your computer.
- A malicious part sends you an email with Hyper-links <-like this. Usually these emails are destined to come from legitimate parties like banks, government departments, or large retail chains, and you, the recipient, thinking that this is a legitimate email of what it seems, by example, your bank, do what the email asks: “Please click here to enter your bank “. Your computer deviates obediently to your Web browser and takes you to the site address contained in that email Hyper-Link-but it may not be where you think it is, but rather the site of a malicious third party dress to make it look like your bank’s. You enter your username and password, and now the malicious third party has your login credentials in your bank account. A few minutes later, his money was mysteriously transferred to someone somewhere far away.
- Or, the malicious site you land after clicking on the link in the malicious email tries to infiltrate your computer by exploiting any of the numerous security vulnerabilities that are discovered and, sooner or later, fixed, in large Software suits installed on modern computers.
- Occasionally there were security flaws in the programs that people use to read and respond to their email so that you simply see an email that has been carefully designed ‘ the Hood ‘ that you can install malware on your computer without that you notice yourself.
There are three main ways that people are infected by an email virus
- A virus as an email hoax
- A virus in an email attachment
- A virus in the email body
How to protect your computer against these harmful viruses?
- Act Smart, not fast
- Check the source of any suspicious email before acting
- Think twice before clicking on any links or attachments
- Get antivirus software and update it periodically
- Automatically disable the downloading and opening of attachments or displaying HTML content
