A cybersecurity expert has revealed just how likely you are to catch a computer virus in 2025.
While that might sound like a thing of the past, especially with the cybersecurity measures now in place on our devices, it turns out that there is still a possibility of getting a virus.
But how likely is it? One YouTube video reveals all.
Speaking to WIRED, cybersecurity architect and adjunct professor at NC State University Jeff Crume answered all the questions users might ask about how safe their computers are these days.
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In the video description, it reads: “What was the first computer virus? Who is the most influential hacker in history? How did hacking work before the internet? Have hackers ever taken down a government website? Do VPNs really offer the anonymity we think they do? What is a firewall and how does it work? Answers to these questions and many more await on Hacking History Support.”
During the discussion, the expert was quizzed on how easy (or difficult) it is to catch a virus nowadays.
In response, Crume said: “We continue to see that certain types of malware proliferate. Thankfully we’ve gotten a little better at this, but the problem is the game constantly keeps changing.
“So, then we had to, as an industry, come out with things that were not just looking for literal signatures.
“That is a string of bits that were in there in the particular malware itself and that was the identifier, now we're looking for things like behaviors, and if we're looking for those behaviors, maybe we're able to block these things more often.
“A lot of these viruses and malware will exploit different vulnerabilities and software.
“So, that's why as patching and updating of software levels has become more and more automated, we've been able to deal with a better defense than we had back in the day when these things were first coming out.”
So, what should we do to avoid getting viruses on our computers? Crume has the answer.
He advised: “Reboot your system every so often because some viruses in malware are not able to survive across a reboot, so you'd like to get rid of those and clean things that way, but in general, use tools that can disinfect your system. That will help a lot.”
People took to the YouTube comment section to share their own thoughts, with one user writing: “Fantastic guest. Kudos!”
And another said: “He explained everything in a very easy way. An intelligent people knows how to make something simple.”