Explain how a basic computer virus operates and how it uses other host programs.

What will be an ideal response?

A virus is a program that attaches itself to a file or another program. A virus doesn't stand on its own, so it can't replicate itself or operate without the presence of a host. A virus attaches itself to a host file or program just as the flu attaches itself to a host organism, and then performs whatever the creator designed it to do.