How does a computer get infected with a virus or spyware?
Computer VirusThere are dozens of ways a computer can become infected with spyware, viruses, and other malware. Below is a list of methods of how your computer can become infected. We've made this list in the order we believe to be most to least common.
Accepting without reading
By far one of the most common ways a computer becomes infected is when a user accepts what they see on the screen without reading the prompt before proceeding. For instance:
While browsing the Internet, an Internet advertisement or window appears that says your computer is infected or that a unique plug-in is required. Without fully understanding what it is you're getting, you accept the prompt.
When installing or updating a program, you're prompted (often check boxes already checked) if it's okay to install additional programs that you may not want or are designed to monitor your usage of the program.