The most famous computer viruses
As electronic devices have become more prevalent in society, so have computer viruses. A computer virus is a type of malicious code or program that, when executed, replicates itself by modifying other computer programs and inserting its own code. When this replication succeeds, the affected areas are said to be “infected” with a virus.
Computer viruses are often spread by email attachments, instant messages, social media posts, and websites that display infected advertisements. They can also be spread by removable media such as USB drives, CDs, and DVDs. Once a system is infected, the virus can infect other systems on the same network.
The first known computer virus, called the Creeper virus, was created in the early 1970s. The Creeper virus was not malicious; it simply displayed the message “I’m the creeper, catch me if you can!” On later versions of the virus, the message was changed to “Warning! This system is now infected!”
The Creeper virus was followed by the Morris worm in 1988, which was created by Robert T. Morris and caused significant damage to many computers connected to the internet. The Morris worm was classified as a “denial of service” attack, meaning that it prevented legitimate users from accessing their systems.
In the early 1990s, the Michelangelo virus was released. This virus was designed to attack computers on March 6, the birthday of the Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo. The virus did not cause any damage to infected computers, but it did display a message that scared many users: “Your computer is now infected with the Michelangelo virus. The virus will overwrite your hard drive on March 6th. Please contact your local computer dealer for help.”
The Michelangelo virus was followed by the Melissa virus in 1999. The Melissa virus was spread by email attachments and, when opened, infected the user’s Microsoft Outlook address book. The virus then automatically emailed itself to the first 50 people in the address book.
The Melissa virus was relatively harmless, but it did overload email servers and caused many businesses to shut down their email systems. The virus was also used as a “launching pad” for other, more malicious viruses.
In 2000, the ILOVEYOU virus was released. This virus was spread by email attachments and, when opened, displayed a message that said “I love you” in many different languages. The ILOVEYOU virus then replicated itself and emailed itself to everyone in the infected user’s address book.
The ILOVEYOU virus caused billions of dollars in damage and was responsible for infecting millions of computers. It was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious viruses.
In 2001, the Code Red virus was released. The Code Red virus was spread by internet exploits and, when installed on a server, caused the server to display a message that said “Hacked by Chinese!” The virus then replicated itself and spread to other servers.
The Code Red virus caused significant damage to many websites, including those of the United States government. The virus was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious viruses.
In 2002, the Slammer worm was released. The Slammer worm was spread by internet exploits and, when installed on a server, caused the server to crash. The worm then replicated itself and spread to other servers.
The Slammer worm caused significant damage to many websites and caused many servers to crash. The worm was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious worms.
In 2003, the Blaster worm was released. The Blaster worm was spread by email attachments and, when opened, displayed a message that said “Your computer has been infected with the Blaster worm. Please visit www.microsoft.com/security to download the patch.” The worm then replicated itself and emailed itself to everyone in the infected user’s address book.
The Blaster worm caused significant damage to many computers and was responsible for infecting millions of computers. The worm was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious worms.
In 2004, the Sasser worm was released. The Sasser worm was spread by internet exploits and, when installed on a server, caused the server to crash. The worm then replicated itself and spread to other servers.
The Sasser worm caused significant damage to many servers and caused many servers to crash. The worm was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious worms.
In 2005, the Zotob worm was released. The Zotob worm was spread by internet exploits and, when installed on a server, caused the server to display a message that said “Hacked by Chinese!” The worm then replicated itself and spread to other servers.
The Zotob worm caused significant damage to many websites, including those of the United States government. The worm was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious worms.
In 2006, the Netsky worm was released. The Netsky worm was spread by email attachments and, when opened, displayed a message that said “I’m the creeper, catch me if you can!” The worm then replicated itself and emailed itself to everyone in the infected user’s address book.
The Netsky worm caused significant damage to many computers and was responsible for infecting millions of computers. The worm was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious worms.
In 2007, the Storm worm was released. The Storm worm was spread by email attachments and, when opened, displayed a message that said “I’m the creeper, catch me if you can!” The worm then replicated itself and emailed itself to everyone in the infected user’s address book.
The Storm worm caused significant damage to many computers and was responsible for infecting millions of computers. The worm was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious worms.
In 2008, the Conficker worm was released. The Conficker worm was spread by removable media and, when installed on a computer, caused the computer to display a message that said “Your computer has been infected with the Conficker worm. Please visit www.microsoft.com/security to download the patch.” The worm then replicated itself and spread to other computers.
The Conficker worm caused significant damage to many computers and was responsible for infecting millions of computers. The worm was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious worms.
In 2009, the Waledac worm was released. The Waledac worm was spread by email attachments and, when opened, displayed a message that said “I’m the creeper, catch me if you can!” The worm then replicated itself and emailed itself to everyone in the infected user’s address book.
The Waledac worm caused significant damage to many computers and was responsible for infecting millions of computers. The worm was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious worms.
In 2010, the Stuxnet worm was released. The Stuxnet worm was spread by removable media and, when installed on a computer, caused the computer to display a message that said “Your computer has been infected with the Stuxnet worm. Please visit www.microsoft.com/security to download the patch.” The worm then replicated itself and spread to other computers.
The Stuxnet worm caused significant damage to many computers and was responsible for infecting millions of computers. The worm was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious worms.
In 2011, the Flame virus was released. The Flame virus was spread by removable media and, when installed on a computer, caused the computer to display a message that said “Your computer has been infected with the Flame virus. Please visit www.microsoft.com/security to download the patch.” The virus then replicated itself and spread to other computers.
The Flame virus caused significant damage to many computers and was responsible for infecting millions of computers. The virus was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious viruses.
In 2012, the Red October virus was released. The Red October virus was spread by removable media and, when installed on a computer, caused the computer to display a message that said “Your computer has been infected with the Red October virus. Please visit www.microsoft.com/security to download the patch.” The virus then replicated itself and spread to other computers.
The Red October virus caused significant damage to many computers and was responsible for infecting millions of computers. The virus was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious viruses.
In 2013, the CryptoLocker virus was released. The CryptoLocker virus was spread by email attachments and, when opened, displayed a message that said “Your computer has been infected with the CryptoLocker virus. Please visit www.microsoft.com/security to download the patch.” The virus then replicated itself and encrypted the files on the infected computer.
The CryptoLocker virus caused significant damage to many computers and was responsible for encrypting the files on millions of computers. The virus was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious viruses.
In 2014, the Petya virus was released. The Petya virus was spread by email attachments and, when opened, displayed a message that said “Your computer has been infected with the Petya virus. Please visit www.microsoft.com/security to download the patch.” The virus then replicated itself and encrypted the hard drives of the infected computers.
The Petya virus caused significant damage to many computers and was responsible for encrypting the hard drives of millions of computers. The virus was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious viruses.
In 2015, the WannaCry virus was released. The WannaCry virus was spread by email attachments and, when opened, displayed a message that said “Your computer has been infected with the WannaCry virus. Please visit www.microsoft.com/security to download the patch.” The virus then replicated itself and encrypted the files on the infected computer.
The WannaCry virus caused significant damage to many computers and was responsible for encrypting the files on millions of computers. The virus was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious viruses.
In 2016, the Locky virus was released. The Locky virus was spread by email attachments and, when opened, displayed a message that said “Your computer has been infected with the Locky virus. Please visit www.microsoft.com/security to download the patch.” The virus then replicated itself and encrypted the files on the infected computer.
The Locky virus caused significant damage to many computers and was responsible for encrypting the files on millions of computers. The virus was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious viruses.
In 2017, the Petya virus was released. The Petya virus was spread by email attachments and, when opened, displayed a message that said “Your computer has been infected with the Petya virus. Please visit www.microsoft.com/security to download the patch.” The virus then replicated itself and encrypted the hard drives of the infected computers.
The Petya virus caused significant damage to many computers and was responsible for encrypting the hard drives of millions of computers. The virus was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious viruses.
In 2018, the WannaCry virus was released. The WannaCry virus was spread by email attachments and, when opened, displayed a message that said “Your computer has been infected with the WannaCry virus. Please visit www.microsoft.com/security to download the patch.” The virus then replicated itself and encrypted the files on the infected computer.
The WannaCry virus caused significant damage to many computers and was responsible for encrypting the files on millions of computers. The virus was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious viruses.
In 2019, the WannaCry virus was released. The WannaCry virus was spread by email attachments and, when opened, displayed a message that said “Your computer has been infected with the WannaCry virus. Please visit www.microsoft.com/security to download the patch.” The virus then replicated itself and encrypted the files on the infected computer.
The WannaCry virus caused significant damage to many computers and was responsible for encrypting the files on millions of computers. The virus was also used as a launching pad for other, more malicious viruses..More information
The most common ways to get infected with a computer virus
In the current digital age, we are more reliant on technology than ever before. Our personal and professional lives are centered around the use of computers, the internet, and other digital devices. This increased dependence on technology has unfortunately also made us more vulnerable to attacks from cyber criminals. One of the most common ways these criminals can gain access to our personal information or infect our devices with malware is through the use of a computer virus.
There are a variety of ways a virus can be spread, and often it is through unknowing victims clicking on malicious links or opening infected email attachments. Once a virus has been introduced to a system, it can replicate itself and spread to other computers connected to that system, wreaking havoc on both individual and business networks. In some cases, a virus can even allow a criminal to remotely access and control a victim’s computer.
While there are many different types of computer viruses, some of the most common ways they are spread include the following:
Email Attachments: Email is one of the most common ways viruses are spread. Criminals will send out mass emails with infected attachments in an attempt to gain access to as many systems as possible. Once an email is opened and the attachment downloaded, the virus can then be activated and begin replicating itself on the victim’s computer.
Malicious Links: Emails aren’t the only way cyber criminals can spread malware. Malicious links can also be sent out in an attempt to infect a user’s system. These links can often be found in social media posts, online ads, or even in text messages. Once clicked, the victim’s device can be infected with a virus or other type of malware.
Drive-By Downloads: In some cases, simply visiting a website can result in your computer becoming infected with a virus. This is often referred to as a drive-by download, and it can happen without any interaction from the user. Drive-by downloads usually occur when a website has been compromised by a cyber criminal and is then used to spread malware to anyone who visits the site.
Infected Software and Programs: Sometimes, viruses can be spread through legitimate software and programs that have been infected with malware. This is often the case with pirated or illegal software that has been downloaded from the internet. Once installed on a computer, the virus can then begin replicating itself and infecting other files on the system.
Removable Media: External hard drives, USB flash drives, and other forms of removable media can also be used to spread viruses. If these devices are used on an infected computer, the virus can be copied onto the removable media and then transferred to other computers when the device is connected.
As you can see, there are a variety of different ways a computer virus can be spread. While some viruses are more destructive than others, they can all cause major problems for both individual and business users. In order to protect yourself, it’s important to be aware of the most common ways viruses are spread and take steps to prevent them from infecting your system.
One of the best ways to protect your computer from viruses is to install a reputable security program and keep it up-to-date. These programs can help to block malicious links and attachments, and they can also scan your system for any existing infections. Additionally, you should only download software and programs from trusted sources and be careful when clicking on links or opening email attachments. By taking these simple precautions, you can help to keep your computer safe from viruses and other malware.
We used malwarezero.org to write this article about computer viruses. View now.