People with this model believed that there are many different ways for these viruses to spread. Some viruses spread through downloads and attachments. Other viruses can spread "automatically," without requiring any actions by the user of the computer. Also, some people believe that hackers will install this type of virus onto the computer when they break in. Given this wide variety of transmission methods and the serious nature of identity theft, respondents with this model took many steps to try to stop these viruses.