Which statement best defines a computer virus?

• A. A piece of code that is capable of copying itself and typically has a detrimental effect, such as corrupting the system or destroying data
• B. A program used to schedule tasks
• C. A software library for graphics
• D. A utility for diagnosing hardware faults

Answer: (A)

A computer virus is self-replicating malicious code that attaches to programs or files and spreads to other systems, often carrying a payload that damages data, disrupts systems, or degrades performance. That self-copying, spreading behavior is the defining characteristic, which is why this option best captures what a virus is. The other choices describe legitimate or unrelated tools: a scheduler helps manage tasks, a graphics library provides drawing functions, and a diagnostic utility checks hardware faults. They do not replicate or propagate like a virus.