What Is Stealth Virus?

It's a sad fact that many viruses are out there, and they can do much damage. What happens when you get infected with a stealth virus? Do you know how everyone tells you to run antivirus software and keep your operating system up-to-date? Those are good things to do but aren't enough to keep you safe from stealth viruses. These viruses hide in files, partitions and boot sectors, and they're adept at avoiding detection by antivirus software. They're also tough to remove. Most people realize they've been infected until it's too late! So what do you do if your computer gets hit with one of these tricky little buggers? First, don't panic. It's not time for the big guns yet. You probably aren't able to fix it yourself (though if anyone out there have tips for us on getting rid of these things without spending hours on the phone with tech support… we're all ears). Instead, ensure everything is backed up to restore from scratch if necessary. Then call in an expert who knows what they're doing. Stealth viruses are the worst. They're also known as "stealth" or "information-hiding" viruses, but we think calling them "stealth" is plenty descriptive. These viruses hide altered computer data and other harmful control functions in system memory and self-copy to undetectable computer areas, effectively tricking antivirus software into thinking everything is fine. Do you feel like crap for a few days when you get a cold and eventually feel better? That's what happens with a stealth virus: it takes over your computer and makes it run slowly until you reboot it, at which point it goes back to normal. The only difference between a cold and a stealth virus is that when you have a cold, your body knows what's happening inside. It can tell that something's wrong! When you have a stealth virus, there's no way for your computer to know anything's wrong until someone points it out otherwise.