What is a computer virus bbc bitesize

Exploit Trojans -These Trojans inject a machine with code deliberately designed to take advantage of a weakness inherent to a specific piece of software.

Rootkit Trojans -These Trojans are intended to prevent the discovery of malware already infecting a system so that it can affect maximum damage. Banker Trojans -This type of Trojan specifically targets personal information used for banking and other online transactions. Distributed Denial of Service DDoS Trojans - These are programmed to execute DDoS attacks, where a network or machine is disabled by a flood of requests originating from many different sources.

Downloader Trojans -These are files written to download additional malware, often including more Trojans, onto a device. Because Trojans are used as a delivery device for a number of different types of malware, if you suspect your device may have been breached by a Trojan, you should look for many of the same telltale signs of malicious software. These may include:. Poor device performance- Is your computer or mobile device running slowly or crashing more frequently than normal?

Pop-up and spam interruptions- Are you noticing an uptick in the number of interruptions from browser pop-ups or email spam? Enter any unrecognized file names or programs into a search engine to determine if they are recognized Trojans.

Zeus - Also known as Zbot, Zeus is a successful Trojan malware package with many variants used to carry out a number of different types of attack. Phishing is the act of trying to obtain financial or other confidential records such as passwords from internet users. Emails that look like they are from a legitimate, respected organisation are sent, but they contain links to fake websites that 'phish' data from unsuspecting victims. In computing, Trojan refers to any malicious computer program which is used to hack into a computer by misleading users as to its true intentions.

They are often hidden in downloads such as free online computer games. A worm is a computer program that makes lots of copies of itself, like a virus. The main difference between the two is that a virus attaches itself to another computer program, but a worm works by itself.

As well as copying itself, it can be made to do all sorts of things, like delete files or send emails to everyone in a user's address book.

Keylogging software is designed to record and store every keystroke made on your computer. A virus is a chain of nucleic acids dna or rna which lives in a host cell uses parts of the cellular machinery to reproduce and releases the replicated nucleic acid chains to infect more cells. Plus it can be a gateway for malicious acts like malware infection or spying on your digital habits.

By definition adware is not inherently malicious. The coronavirus pandemic which was first detected in china has infected people in countries. Similarly in the same way that viruses cannot reproduce without a host cell computer viruses cannot reproduce and spread without programming such as a file or document.

Learn how living organisms share characteristics such as the ability to move and reproduce with bbc bitesize gcse biology. A virus is an infectious non living particle that cannot survive on its own it is considered to be non living because it cannot exist purely by itself. Because they are so small we call them microorganisms.