2. A virus is a piece of software tht is designed to copy itself onto other programs causing them to function differently. In the 80’s, when the viruses first started to be created, they where created as a form of a joke. But, quite soon people started using viruses as a form of a “weapon”, designed to disrupt the way major companies systems worked. One time it got so bad that one company had to shut down their entire email system to top viruses spreading around.

3. Usually, viruses spread by opening a email attachment or going on a website containing the virus, causing the virus being saved on a file or software.. This can be passed on to different computers by saving the infected file or software onto a storage device, which is later then uploaded on to a different computer. But sometimes, viruses can spread from computer to computer by a file sharing network where the virus is on a file or software.

4. As viruses became more of a pain, the demand for anti-virus software rose. So anti-virus software, such as “Norton Anti-virus”, came to existence to get rid of those viruses by recognizing the patterns of the virus and either getting rid of it or “quarantining”, it. But this has caused new virus types to be created, so the Anti- virus software was designed so it updates itself but at a cost of couple of pounds. A small price to pay for peace.

5. Viruses can be prevented by following logical precautions: -Getting Anti-virus software and updating it regularly. -Actually using the anti-virus software ( scanning the computer regularly and scanning all emails). -Not going onto “amazing offers”. -Not downloading copied software. -Not opening suspicious attachments that you may get.

6. As the popularity of the internet has grown, so has the amount of different pests that can infect your computer, those are: -Trojan Software -Worms -Spyware

7. Trojan software is a piece of software that appears to be useful, but underneath, it uses the internet to send information to another server. Examples of things that may be send are: records of your key strokes, which may be your passwords to your bank account. Trojan software my also allow some other person to take control of your computer, whilst you are online.

8. Worms are like viruses, but they spread on their own account, threw networks. The biggest problem with worms is that they soak up time, making your computer run really slowly.

9. Spyware are programs which keep track of which adverts you press on and later send you those type of adverts. Usually harmless, but very annoying and very hard to get rid of.

10. As you may have guessed, it is illegal to spread a virus. This law is called The computer misuse act (1990), it also covers other computer crimes, such as hacking. The computer misuse act (1990) specifies a virus as: 'unauthorised modification of the contents of a computer, impairing the operation of any program or reliability of data'. Spreading a virus willingly faces the person in question with an unlimited fine and a 5 year prison sentence.