Viruses and spyware have spooked computers for decades. But, which one is worse? And can either one be prevented, 100%?
Viruses are the more obvious of the two. If your anti-virus software is working, it will automatically pop up with a warning message of the virus. However, if your anti-virus software is not up to date, it will quarantine the virus. In the worse case, your anti-virus software will not pick up the rogue virus and your system could:
- get slow
- turn off unexpectedly
- e-mail the virus to other network computers and contacts
- incapacitate programs and functionality
- crash the computer
Spyware is typically in stealth mode while it infects the PC, then it will pop-up with a message, usually on the lower right, providing warnings of your infection. Spyware is a little bit nastier than viruses since anti-spyware software is not typically updated to resolve the rapidly new instances of spyware that are released daily. Plus, most users forget to protect their PCs from spyware, thinking that their anti-virus software will protect against everything. Spyware has multiple effects such as:
- learning website navigation habits and spamming accordingly
- slowing down the PC
- providing fake spyware software for a fee
You should contact a local NYC spyware specialist or NYC virus technician if you don’t feel comfortable removing your own PC infections.