Viruses, страница 2

Users running a Microsoft operating system can access Microsoft's website to run a free scan, provided they have their 20-digit registration number.

Operating system reinstallation

Reinstalling the operating system is another approach to virus removal. It involves simply reformatting the OS partition and installing the OS from its original media, or imaging the partition with a clean backup image (Taken with Ghost or Acronis for example). This method has the benefits of being simple to do, being faster than running multiple antivirus scans, and is guaranteed to remove any malware. Downsides include having to reinstall all other software, reconfiguring, restoring user preferences. User data can be backed up by booting off of a Live CD or putting the hard drive into another computer and booting from the other computer's operating system (though care must be taken not to transfer the virus to the new computer).

Conclusion

Viruses are extremely dangerous for unprotected computers, they can not only remove date, but also steal private information, such as information about credit cards. That's why it's so important to use antiviruses and to upload their signatures as often as possible.

I think governments should aggravate punishment for making computer viruses, it can probably lessen the number of viruses made.

I think each user must take care of his own computer security. It's not difficult to use an antivirus, to avoid entering suspicious sites, but these easy measures can save data and private information.

References:

1. Thomas Chen, Jean-Marc Robert (2004). "The Evolution of Viruses and Worms". http://vx.netlux.org/lib/atc01.html.