Ever since the release of the PC, the capabilities of the personal computer have far exceeded anyone’s expectations from when it first debuted. Who would have thought that one day people around the world can be connected instantly via telegraphic communication? The World Wide Web has revolutionized the way business and communication is conducted around the world, as Tom Friedman said, “The world has been flattened”. This new technology, like anything else, comes with its negatives as well. Just as the internet started to appear, it was discovered that the internet could be used to easily transmit computer viruses.  As written about in an article written by how stuff works, it described what viruses were and how they worked. A textbook definition of a virus is a small piece of software that piggybacks on real programs. Each time the program is opened and ran, the virus has a chance to multiply and attach to other programs. There are many types of viruses, e-mail viruses, Trojan horse viruses, and what is called worms. Each type of virus has its own characteristics, and each infects in a different manner. For instance unlike a worm virus, which uses computer networks and security holes to replicate itself, a Trojan horse virus infects a computer by disguising itself a s simple program that claims to do something, but instead when ran it actually does damage to your computer. Another common virus is an email virus; these viruses are attached to emails and infect a computer by simply viewing the email. We, as computer users and internet servers must be aware of the damage that viruses can do, and there are ways to prevent such damage to your computer. Credible anti-virus programs are very successful at keeping your computer safe from these threats, but the programs are constantly updating so they keep in pace with new viruses.