What is a Virus?

A computer virus is the most common and frequently misunderstood security threat faced by the computer systems connected to the global network called the Internet. A computer virus inserts a particular set of instructions into other computer program called the host program. This allows the virus code to execute along with the host program. In this way, a virus replicates itself and spreads to other computer systems attached to the network. In the process, the virus code may also execute any unwanted operations on the system based on some trigger such as a particular date, time, or the occurrence of some specific event. A virus performs all these activities without the consent or knowledge of the owner/user of the machine.

Emmanuel Aigbehi