A computer virus is a program designed to run on your computer uninvited. What it does when it runs could be anything from putting creepy-crawley bugs on your screen to destroying everything on your hard-disk.

Spyware is designed to invade your privacy, e.g. trying to obtain your credit card information or other forms of identity related data - it is claimed that a quarter of adults have been, or know someone who has been directly affected by Identity Theft (source Which? magazine).

Most viruses infect your computer through web sites and emails but with the widespread adoption of Broardband, the "always-on" nature of this connection allows malicious programs to exploit vulnerabilities in the operating system especially if no firewall is operating.

There are many signs that would indicate a possible infection but amongst the most common are if your computer is suddenly a lot slower than before or if pop-ups start appearing.

A favourite ploy used by some viruses is to try to scare you into believing your computer is infected by all manner of things and that buying their product will cure everything. The behaviour of these viruses can be very convincing and it may even seem like your PC is being scanned by something that is looking for, and usually finding, large numbers of alledged "problems".

Of course it goes without saying that if you use your computer to access emails and/or the internet, you should ensure that it has reputable anti-virus software installed. This said, there is no anti-virus software that can give 100% protection.

If you suspect your computer is infected see our section on Anti-Virus Software or call us for further advice and help.