How is a computer virus like a human virus?

Answer 1

Computer Viruses are called "viruses" after the biological type of virus because of a few similarities:

Computer viruses

• are self-spreading and reproductive
• spread to other computers (through internet, email, CDs, usb keys)
• damage the host computer and
• can be prevented by "vaccination" or telling anti-virus software to block all flagged software

However it is vital to realize that computer 'viruses' are malicious scripts invented by people, while biological viruses are proteinaceous particles which are often not created by people.

Answer 2

Computer viruses are created by human beings and are spread by contacting virtually (e-mail, etc.), downloading things that have a virus, or just visiting sites that have a virus planted in them. (Sites that are advertised on TV have an extremely low chance of having viruses, for example Neopets or Free Realms. Also very popular sites like You Tube or WikiAnswers) Biological viruses are contracted in similar ways: touching something that has the virus on it, then touching your mouth, eyes or ears, kissing or having sexual intercourse with someone who has a virus, or by being born with it. Biological viruses CANNOT be cured, they are always in the body, but the symptoms and fatality can. While computer viruses can be rid of. Both have many types, some are fatal or they cannot be cured/rid of/etc.

Answer 3

A computer virus 'infects' a computer in much the same way as a biological virus infects a person. It's usually programmed to duplicate itself (in the same way a biological virus divides and multiplies) - thus filling the computer's hard drive with masses of useless information, so the legitimate programs have no space to work. It's also programmed to 'jump' from one computer to another (just as one person can catch a virus from another)

Answer 4

A computer virus is like a real virus in that both are infectious. Real viruses can travel from person to person, and computer viruses can travel from computer to computer. And of course, both computer viruses and real viruses have harmful effects on the organisms or computers which become infected by them.

Answer 5

how are computer and biological viruses alike and different

Answer 6

Computer viruses and human viruses both infect something.

Answer 7

Sort of. If you think of sharing data as the computer equivalent of sex, many computer viruses are then STDs.

Answer 8

they can both destroy systems