Everyone knows that Viruses – which should actually be called Malware – are harmful for every computer. It’s amazing to find that, still, some people are not really concerned about their computer safety or anything else. They live with the false belief that their basic Operating System securities are enough to take care of all data or the device itself. This article for those ignorant people, who don’t know about the real impacts of a malware infection. In this article, we will list down the worst things a virus can do to your computer, or, any other day-to-day device, for that matter.
P.S. Don’t be surprised.
#1 You May Lose All Your Data
This can be due to different reasons, to be noted. The scenario can be with a common virus infection. In that case, chances are, you may have to format your computer for starting off fresh. Even when you have taken regular backups for your files, this is going to be tough. In the second scenario, the villain can be a malicious ransomware, which encrypts your computer data and asks ransom from you. Even when you pay mentioned amount of ransom, there is no way you are going to have the data back. There are many instances like these, depending on the type of malware your PC is infected with. In case if you are still wondering, new malware is becoming popular day by day.
#2 They Can Get You Caught
Sounds funny? Well, stop laughing and think about it. Nowadays, most viruses don’t just steal your computer but access your activities and the system itself. Even when you are typing something on the Word program, a hacker can use the web-browser utility for sending requests. And, in most cases, requests are sent towards malicious sites and services, even those unsafe ones. This, with no doubt, can cause you trouble in the long run. If you have a dedicated IP connection, your IP may even be blocked by certain services or websites. This is hell of a damage, we suppose.
#3 Hardware Issues
Well, hardware issues caused by viruses aren’t like those flu or some other illness. On the other hand, what they can do is to put extra load on your computer components like processor and hard disk. If you’re running an old-configuration computer, that is enough for damaging those components. There have been malware programs that can access your hard disk and make it spin on extraordinary speeds. This will have a negative impact on the total performance of these hardware components. If you let it continue, you would end up in having to replace those parts – or, even the complete system, for that matter.
#4 Your Privacy Will Be Gone Forever
This is one of the worst things that can happen in regard to virus infections. If you are someone who values your privacy, this is one of the biggest reasons to fear these infections. What more intimidating is that all your files or photos can be accessed by a hacker or someone others. These hackers may even sell this info for malicious others in the world. We think that’s damaging enough for all of you. This issue of privacy can be caused by almost all types of malware infections, the best example being adware. In the first look, it may seem like the adware is just showing you some annoying advertisements. In fact, in the background, all your information may be being transferred to some other people. That’s one of the reasons why you see larger data consumption charges if your computer is infected with certain viruses.
The Solution
Now, let’s have some information about the solutions. You have all the freedom to prevent virus-infection, such as the updated OS and extra protection while using public Wi-Fi Hotspots. However, if you think you do not have enough time for protection, we recommend the use of an effective paid antivirus program like Kaspesrky, Norton or Bitdefender. It will help you to stay secure from all the possible aspects. You can even set those programs to scan your PC on a regular basis, so that no viruses will be exempted from being caught. This, when combined with some digital literacy, would help you prevent virus-infections.
Muhammad Ahmad says
Hi Barry,
An informative post indeed. Thanks for sharing these threats.
Keep sharing stuff like this 🙂
~ Ahmad
Atif Imran says
After reading this article, I found out Why many companies/advertisers invest so much money in pay per install industry.
By the way, You forgot to mention that webcam can also be used to record our activities.