Question

A computer virus is a program that can copy itself and infect a computer without the permission of the owner. How do you think a computer virus compares to a real virus?

Answer 1

Answer:

A virus is simply an infectious agent relatively small in size that multiplies only inside a host. The host can be a plant, an animal and even computer systems.

Whether it infects a system(computer) or a living organism, viruses potentially do the same thing - infect the target, and replicates itself inside the target.

Computer virus and an actual virus compare in the following ways:

i. They are both small compared to the host. Computer virus has a small size compared to the host software. Real virus has a small genome compared to the host genome.

ii. They spread. The virus in one computer can spread to other computers. In living things, the virus can spread also.

iii. Not quick to notice. When a system has been infected, it usually takes time before it becomes obvious. That might be because the virus is taking its time to replicate. The same thing applies to real virus. When a host is infected, it takes time before they notice.

iv. Harmfulness degree. Depending on the virus, the level of harmfulness varies in both a real virus and a computer virus.

There are other numerous ways in which they compare.