4. Computer viruses are scary. If an attacker gets control of your computer, they can snoop through your files, steal your sensitive information, and even use your computer's webcam and microphone to spy on you. But just because there are scary things on the internet, uvesn't mean that we should stay off of the Internet. Instead, practice safe habits such as installing virus protection. Virus protection will not protect you against all attacks, but it may stop the most common ones. It also helps to keep your software up to date. Software updates close security holes. By installing updates from software providers, you will have a stronger system. Perhaps the most important thing that you can do is to be smart about how you browse. Don't click on suspicious links and don't open attached files unless you are expecting them. The Internet can be a dangerous place, but you'll be safer if you take a few precautions. Happy browsing! 5. Viruses can mess up computers and make them run slowly. If you've ever gotten a virus on your computer, you may have wondered why someone would go through all of that trouble just to ruin your computer. There are two reasons why people spread viruses: money and power. If someone infects your computer with a virus, they can make money by stealing your sensitive information and selling it to identity thieves. Or, they can gain power by using your computer to attack other computers and websites to take them offline. Your computer makes an attractive target to cybercriminals because they can use it to gain money and power.