Can a virus destroy data?

Question

A computer virus is a program that spreads by first infecting files or the system areas of a computer or network router's hard drive and then making copies of itself. Some viruses are harmless, others may damage data files, and some may destroy files.

Can viruses steal your data?

Nowadays, the criminals behind the infections usually want your computer operating in top form so you don't know something's wrong. That way, they can log your keystrokes and steal any passwords or credit-card numbers you enter at Web sites, or they can link your infected computer with others to send out spam.

Can a virus damage files?

Each time a user starts a computer that is already infected by a virus, they may be launching a series of programs that can damage program files. Computer viruses are notorious for spreading quickly, and can even start infecting other computers on a network.

Can a virus destroy the internet?

“The answer is no,” says Gleb Budman, CEO of BackBlaze, a backup company and cloud storage provider. “Even the large-scale attack against Dyn still only knocked out certain sites down for certain people for certain amounts of time.

How do viruses affect data?

However, once the virus infects your computer, the virus can infect other computers on the same network. Stealing passwords or data, logging keystrokes, corrupting files, spamming your email contacts, and even taking over your machine are just some of the devastating and irritating things a virus can do.

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