Incazelo: Ekhompyutheni yekhompyutha, ama-virus ayizinhlelo zesofthiwe ezinonya, uhlobo lwe- malware . Ngencazelo, ama-virus akhona kuma-drive disk wendawo futhi asakaza kusuka kwikhompyutha eyodwa kuya komunye ngokuhlanganyela kwamafayela "anesifo". Izindlela ezivamile zokusabalalisa amagciwane zihlanganisa amadiski e-floppy, ukudluliswa kwefayela le- FTP , nokukopisha amafayela phakathi kokushayela kwenethiwekhi okwabiwe.
Once efakwe kwikhompyutha, igciwane lingashintsha noma lisuse amafayela wesicelo nesistimu. Amanye amagciwane anika ikhompiyutha engasebenzi; abanye bavele babonise imilayezo esheshayo yesikrini kubasebenzisi abangabheki.
Izinhlelo zokusebenza ze- antivirus ezithuthukisiwe zikhona ukulwa namagciwane. Ngencazelo, isofthiwe ye-antivirus ihlola okuqukethwe kwezinkomba zendawo zendawo ukukhomba amaphethini wedatha okuthiwa "amasignesha" afana namagciwane aziwayo. Njengoba izakhi ezintsha ze-virusi zakhiwe, abakhiqizi be-antivirus software bavuselela izincazelo zabo zesignesha ukufanisa, bese behambisa lezi zincazelo kubasebenzisi ngokusebenzisa ukulandwa kwenethiwekhi.
Futhi eyaziwa ngokuthi: i- malware