Causes of Computer Viruses

Below are some reasons your computer/laptop can get infected;

Contaminated Storage Devices:

As discussed, using contaminated storage devices like floppy diskettes, USB drives, and CD-ROMs is a common way viruses are transferred from one system to another.

Protecting Files with Viruses:

When there was no law against software piracy, programmers had to protect their files, and viruses at that time were the only alternative and so were used. In the process of a user copying the program, the virus is also copied and if the user has no knowledge of the virus, it becomes a nuisance, thereby preventing the owner from using the computer.

Bad Programming:

Writing a program in an unsuitable way can easily attract viruses, and you may lose some of the files.

Revenge or Malice:

When there is a disagreement between an individual and a company, or there is a rival company losing its share of the market to a more popular company, this might lead to one party sabotaging the other by infecting the rival’s computer network or important computer files. This can cause a lot of damage. If the company attacked does not have a backup, the virus will affect their data, to the extent of the company folding up. This also comes in the form of DOD and DDoS attacks.

Making Money:

Some programmers deliberately write a virus to infect programs. Lots of viruses, malware, and spyware found on computers, do not harm the computer all that much, other than slow it down. This malware is designed to capture information about the computer user and send it to the person or company responsible for making the malware. The information they collect is then used to target advertisements to your computer, or device.

These ads come in the form of e-mails and pop-ups on your computer. If enough computers get infected, they can earn money from all the ads displayed. The more ads they send out, the more chances they have of getting people to buy something, or visit the advertiser. Sometimes, all it takes is one virus or malware program to generate hundreds, or even thousands, of ads on your computer.

Deliberate Act:

Some programmers deliberately infect the PC with viruses, in order to prevent it from loading some software into the memory of the computer.

Mischief:

Some people create viruses and malware because they enjoy causing trouble, and making others suffer. Some malware can crash an entire network system, and cause system outages for large companies, like banks or production companies. In the end, it is the thrill of seeing the havoc and chaos they can create, that drives them to create more viruses and malware.

Computer Fraud:

Viruses can be used to steal information, like credit card details and other personal information, which can then be used for fraudulent activities.