Viruses, worms, Trojan horses and hacking are all security problems in our computer network. Each of these malware or programs attaches and spreads in different ways. Through hacking, hackers can infect computers with various types of malware and viruses. This document will explain what viruses are, how they manifest themselves, the types of computer crimes that can result from them, and how to better protect your computer.“Security Alert! The application cannot be encrypted or spyware alert! Your computer is infected with spyware. Do you want to activate your antivirus software now?" These are usually the messages that appear on your computer when it becomes infected with a virus. These are the types of viruses and message traps that hackers try to use to trick users into purchasing fake software antivirus. Each type of malware and infectious hacker programs is different and occurs in various ways. Viruses and hacking have a major impact on two main topics discussed in Computer Information Technology 110 (CIT 110) topics are security of data and operating systems. Due to computer virus infection and hacking, the computer operating system may malfunction and data security becomes vulnerable to loss or theft by hackers. As explained in the textbook Computers Are Your Future by Catherine LaBerta, the operating system (OS) is a “set of programs designed to manage and control the resources of a computer” (Laberta 111). A virus infection can prevent your operating system from functioning properly. This typically occurs when the virus prevents the operating system from opening any antivirus software. People often confuse viruses with another type of malware or program such as worms and Trojan horses. As described by CommonCraft in Computer Viruses and Threats...... middle of document ......c Is the leading provider of chiropractic research news and information in the world, serving doctors of chiropractic since 1983. Web .November 27, 2011. .Greiner, Lynn. “Social Network Hacking.” NetWorker-Broadband for All 13.1 (2009). ACM Digital Library. Network. November 13, 2011. LaBerta, Catherine and Diane Coyle. Computers are your future. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2011. Print.Sukhai, Nataliya B. “Hacking and Cybercrime.” Proceedings of the First Annual Conference on Information Security Curriculum Development (2004): 128-32. ACM Digital Library. Network. November 12, 2011."What is a computer virus?" Antivirus reviews and downloads: Norton 2012, Kaspersky, NOD32. Antivirus Ware, June 3, 2011. Web. November 14. 2011. .