The 20 most common PC viruses
In the early days of computer viruses, there was no such thing as anti-virus software. Computers were infected by malicious code that caused all sorts of problems, from crashes to data loss. Today, there are many different types of anti-virus software that can detect and remove viruses from your computer. However, there are still some viruses that are able to slip through the cracks. Here are 20 of the most common PC viruses that you should be on the lookout for:
1. LoveLetter/Anna Kournikova
This virus, which surfaced in 2000, was spread primarily through email attachments. The email claimed to contain a picture of tennis star Anna Kournikova, but when the attachment was opened, it would replicate itself and send itself out to everyone in the victims address book. This virus caused a lot of panic, as it spread quickly and caused a lot of damage. However, it was eventually stopped and is no longer a threat.
2. Melissa
Another virus that was spread through email attachments, Melissa surfaced in 1999. This virus would replicate itself and send itself out to the first 50 people in the victim’s address book. The email would have a subject line that said “Important Message From [name]” and would contain a text file that, when opened, would infect the computer and send itself out to more people. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it caused many companies to shut down their email servers in order to prevent it from spreading.
3. ILOVEYOU
This virus, which surfaced in 2000, was also spread through email attachments. The email would claim to be from a secret admirer, and would contain an attachment that, when opened, would overwrite important files on the victim’s computer and send itself out to everyone in their address book. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it quickly spread around the world and caused billions of dollars in damages.
4. Code Red
This virus, which surfaced in 2001, was a worm that infected computers running Microsoft’s IIS web server software. The virus would replicating itself and cause the affected computer to launch attacks against other computers, eventually leading to a denial of service. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it brought down many websites and caused a lot of financial damage.
5. Nimda
This virus, which surfaced in 2001, was similar to Code Red in that it was a worm that infected computers running Microsoft’s IIS web server software. However, Nimda was able to spread itself in many different ways, including email attachments, network shares, and infected websites. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it was able to spread quickly and bring down many websites.
6. SQL Slammer
This virus, which surfaced in 2003, was a worm that exploited a vulnerability in Microsoft’s SQL Server software. The worm would replicating itself and cause the affected computer to launch attacks against other computers, eventually leading to a denial of service. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it brought down many websites and caused a lot of financial damage.
7. Sasser
This virus, which surfaced in 2004, was a worm that exploited a vulnerability in the Windows operating system. The worm would replicating itself and cause the affected computer to crash. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it crashed many computers and caused a lot of financial damage.
8. WannaCry
This virus, which surfaced in 2017, was a ransomware that encrypted victims’ files and demanded a ransom be paid in order to decrypt them. This virus spread quickly and caused a lot of damage, as it infected many hospitals and businesses around the world.
9. Petya
This virus, which surfaced in 2016, was a ransomware that encrypted victims’ hard drives and demanded a ransom be paid in order to decrypt them. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it encrypted the hard drives of many computers and caused a lot of financial damage.
10. NotPetya
This virus, which surfaced in 2017, was similar to Petya in that it was a ransomware that encrypted victims’ hard drives and demanded a ransom be paid in order to decrypt them. However, this virus was not able to be decrypted, even if the ransom was paid. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it encrypted the hard drives of many computers and caused a lot of financial damage.
11. Conficker
This virus, which surfaced in 2008, was a worm that spread itself through network shares and infected computers. The virus would then disable certain security features on the infected computer and allow the attacker to take control of it. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it infected millions of computers and caused a lot of financial damage.
12. Stuxnet
This virus, which surfaced in 2010, was a worm that was specifically designed to target industrial control systems. The virus would infect the computer and then take control of the system, causing it to malfunction. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it was responsible for causing a nuclear power plant to shut down.
13. Flame
This virus, which surfaced in 2012, was a malware that was designed to spy on victims. The virus would infect the computer and then collect information about the victim, such as their emails, chats, and even their internet usage. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it was able to collect a lot of sensitive information about its victims.
14. Duqu
This virus, which surfaced in 2011, was malware that was designed to spy on victims. The virus would infect the computer and then collect information about the victim, such as their emails, chats, and even their internet usage. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it was able to collect a lot of sensitive information about its victims.
15. Red October
This virus, which surfaced in 2013, was malware that was designed to spy on victims. The virus would infect the computer and then collect information about the victim, such as their emails, chats, and even their internet usage. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it was able to collect a lot of sensitive information about its victims.
16. Dark Tequila
This virus, which surfaced in 2013, was malware that was designed to steal victims’ information. The virus would infect the computer and then collect information such as passwords, banking information, and credit card numbers. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it was able to collect a lot of sensitive information about its victims.
17. BlackEnergy
This virus, which surfaced in 2014, was malware that was designed to launch attacks against victims. The virus would infect the computer and then launch denial of service attacks or ransomware attacks against the victim. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it was responsible for launching many attacks against victims and causing a lot of financial damage.
18. Cryptowall
This virus, which surfaced in 2014, was ransomware that encrypted victims’ files and demanded a ransom be paid in order to decrypt them. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it encrypted the files of many computers and caused a lot of financial damage.
19. Dridex
This virus, which surfaced in 2014, was malware that was designed to steal victims’ information. The virus would infect the computer and then collect information such as passwords, banking information, and credit card numbers. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it was able to collect a lot of sensitive information about its victims.
20. WannaMine
This virus, which surfaced in 2017, was cryptocurrency mining malware that infected victims’ computers and used their resources to mine for cryptocurrency. This virus caused a lot of damage, as it infected many computers and caused a lot of financial damage.More information
The top 20 most dangerous PC viruses
of all time
Most computer viruses are made by malevolent people who want to inflict damage or gain control over other people’s computers. While some viruses are created for amusement or to see how much they can spread, the majority are written with more malicious intent.
The basis for most viruses is to either delete files, reformat a hard drive, cause problems with software, or worse – steal personal information. More sophisticated viruses can even take control of a computer, using it to launch attacks on other computers or to send spam email.
While there are literally thousands of computer viruses in existence, only a handful have caused major outbreaks. The following is a list of the 20 most dangerous computer viruses of all time, in chronological order.
1. The CIH Virus (1998)
The CIH virus, also known as Chen Ing-Hau, was first discovered in June 1998 and was one of the most destructive computer viruses ever created. The virus was written by a Taiwanese student who went by the alias of “CIH”.
The CIH virus was a polymorphic virus, meaning it could change its appearance to avoid detection by antivirus software. When the virus was first discovered, it affected only Windows 95 and Windows 98 computers. However, later versions of the virus were also capable of infecting Windows 2000 and Windows XP machines.
Once a computer was infected with the CIH virus, it would lie dormant until the 28th of any month. On that day, the virus would activate and begin corrupting files on the hard drive. In some cases, the damage was so severe that the only way to fix it was to reformat the entire drive and reinstall Windows.
The CIH virus was particularly dangerous because it targeted the BIOS, the basic input/output system that allows a computer to boot up. By corrupting the BIOS, the virus made it impossible to start up the computer, rendering it useless.
2. The Love Letter Virus (2000)
The Love Letter virus, also known as the ILOVEYOU virus, is a computer worm that spread primarily through email attachments in May 2000. The virus was written by two Filipino programmers who went by the aliases of “Onel de Guzman” and “Peter Riba”.
The Love Letter virus affected computers running Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT. The virus would arrive in an email with the subject line “ILOVEYOU” and the message “kindly check the attached LOVELETTER coming from me”.
The attachment would appear to be a text file, but was actually a malicious Visual Basic script. When opened, the script would send itself to everyone in the victim’s email address book and then proceed to delete a number of important system files.
In addition to causing widespread damage, the Love Letter virus also resulted in a lot of embarrassment for those who fell victim to it. This was because the virus would also display a graphic of a half-naked woman whenever the infected computer was restarted.
3. The Code Red Worm (2001)
The Code Red worm was a computer worm that spread quickly across the Internet in July 2001. The worm was named after the Coca-Cola drink “Code Red”, due to the fact that the first version of the worm was found on the 4th of July – the same day that the drink was launched.
The Code Red worm was created by two Chinese programmers who went by the aliases of “Yi-Wei” and “Gong-Jin”. The worm was designed to take advantage of a security hole in Microsoft’s Internet Information Server (IIS).
Once a computer was infected with the Code Red worm, it would start scanning for other vulnerable computers and then infect them as well. The worm would also display a message on any web page served by the infected computer, stating “Hacked by Chinese!”.
In addition to causing widespread damage, the Code Red worm also resulted in a lot of embarrassment for the Chinese government. This was because the worm would occasionally display the Chinese flag instead of the message, leading people to believe that the Chinese government was behind the attacks.
4. The Nimda Worm (2001)
The Nimda worm was a computer worm that spread quickly across the Internet in September 2001. The worm was named after the Hebrew word “nimda”, which means “admin” or “manage”.
The Nimda worm was created by an unknown programmer. The worm was designed to take advantage of a number of security holes in Microsoft’s Internet Information Server (IIS).
Once a computer was infected with the Nimda worm, it would start scanning for other vulnerable computers and then infect them as well. The worm would also display a message on any web page served by the infected computer, stating “Welcome to nimda-land!”.
In addition to causing widespread damage, the Nimda worm also resulted in a lot of embarrassment for Microsoft. This was because the worm was able to infect computers running Windows NT, even though Microsoft had released a patch to fix the security hole that the worm exploited.
5. The Slammer Worm (2003)
The Slammer worm was a computer worm that spread quickly across the Internet in January 2003. The worm was named after the tool that was used to create it, which was called the “SQL Slammer”.
The Slammer worm was created by an unknown programmer. The worm was designed to take advantage of a security hole in Microsoft’s SQL Server.
Once a computer was infected with the Slammer worm, it would start scanning for other vulnerable computers and then infect them as well. The worm would then start causing problems with the affected computer’s internet connection, making it slow or completely unusable.
In addition to causing widespread damage, the Slammer worm also resulted in a lot of embarrassment for Microsoft. This was because the worm was able to infect computers running Windows 2000, even though Microsoft had released a patch to fix the security hole that the worm exploited.
6. The Blaster Worm (2003)
The Blaster worm was a computer worm that spread quickly across the Internet in August 2003. The worm was named after the tool that was used to create it, which was called the “ Blaster”.
The Blaster worm was created by an unknown programmer. The worm was designed to take advantage of a security hole in Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
Once a computer was infected with the Blaster worm, it would start scanning for other vulnerable computers and then infect them as well. The worm would then start displaying a message on the infected computer, stating “I just wanted to say LOVE YOU SANTA!!”.
In addition to causing widespread damage, the Blaster worm also resulted in a lot of embarrassment for Microsoft. This was because the worm was able to infect computers running Windows XP, even though Microsoft had released a patch to fix the security hole that the worm exploited.
7. The SoBig Worm (2003)
The SoBig worm was a computer worm that spread quickly across the Internet in August 2003. The worm was named after the tool that was used to create it, which was called the “SoBig”.
The SoBig worm was created by an unknown programmer. The worm was designed to take advantage of a security hole in Microsoft’s Outlook Express.
Once a computer was infected with the SoBig worm, it would start scanning for other vulnerable computers and then infect them as well. The worm would then start sending out emails from the infected computer, using spoofed email addresses.
In addition to causing widespread damage, the SoBig worm also resulted in a lot of embarrassment for Microsoft. This was because the worm was able to infect computers running Windows XP, even though Microsoft had released a patch to fix the security hole that the worm exploited.
8. The Mydoom Worm (2004)
The Mydoom worm was a computer worm that spread quickly across the Internet in January 2004. The worm was named after the tool that was used to create it, which was called the “Mydoom”.
The Mydoom worm was created by an unknown programmer. The worm was designed to take advantage of a security hole in Microsoft’s Outlook Express.
Once a computer was infected with the Mydoom worm, it would start scanning for other vulnerable computers and then infect them as well. The worm would then start sending out emails from the infected computer, using spoofed email addresses.
In addition to causing widespread damage, the Mydoom worm also resulted in a lot of embarrassment for Microsoft. This was because the worm was able to infect computers running Windows XP, even though Microsoft had released a patch to fix the security hole that the worm exploited.
9. The Sasser Worm (2004)
The Sasser worm was a computer worm that spread quickly across the Internet in May 2004. The worm was named after the tool that was used to create it, which was called the “Sasser”.
The Sasser worm was created by a German teenager who went by the alias of “Sven Jaschan”. The worm was designed to take advantage of a security hole in Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
Once a computer was infected with the Sasser worm, it would start scanning for other vulnerable computers and then infect them as well. The worm would then start causing problems with the affected computer’s internet connection, making it slow or completely unusable.
In addition to causing widespread damage, the Sasser worm also resulted in a lot of embarrassment for Microsoft. This was because the worm was able to infect computers running Windows XP, even though Microsoft had released a patch to fix the security hole that the worm exploited.
10. The Netsky Worm (2004)
The Netsky worm was a computer worm that spread quickly across the Internet in March 2004. The worm was named after the tool that was used to create it, which was called the “Netsky”.
The Netsky worm was created by a German teenager who went by the alias of “Sven Jaschan”. The worm was designed to take advantage of a security hole in Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
Once a computer was infected with the Netsky worm, it would start scanning for other vulnerable computers and then infect them as well. The worm would then start sending out emails from the infected computer, using spoofed email addresses.
In addition to causing widespread damage, the Netsky worm also resulted in a lot of embarrassment for Microsoft. This was because the worm was able to infect computers running Windows XP, even though Microsoft had released a patch to fix the security hole that the worm exploited.
11. The Bagle Worm (2004)
The Bagle worm was a computer worm that spread quickly across the Internet in February 2004. The worm was named after the tool that was used to create it, which was called the “Bagle”.
The Bagle worm was created by an unknown programmer. The worm was designed to take advantage of a security hole in Microsoft’s Outlook Express.
Once a computer was infected with the Bagle worm, it would start scanning for other vulnerable computers and then infect them as well. The worm would then start sending out emails from the infected computer, using spoofed email addresses.
In addition to causing widespread damage, the Bagle worm also resulted in a lot of embarrassment for Microsoft. This was because the worm was able to infect computers running Windows XP, even though Microsoft had released a patch to fix the security hole that the worm exploited.
12. The Mytob Worm (2005)
The Mytob worm was a computer worm that spread quickly across the Internet in February 2005. The worm was named after the tool that was used to create it, which was called the “Mytob”.
The Mytob worm was created by an unknown programmer. The worm was designed to take advantage of a security hole in Microsoft’s Outlook Express.
Once a computer was infected with the Mytob worm, it would start scanning for other vulnerable computers and then infect them as well. The worm would then start sending out emails from the infected computer, using spoofed email addresses.
In addition to causing widespread damage, the Mytob worm also resulted in a lot of embarrassment for Microsoft. This was because the worm was able to infect computers running Windows XP, even though Microsoft had released a patch to fix the security hole that the worm exploited.
13. The Zotob Worm (2005)
The Zotob worm was a computer worm that spread quickly across the Internet in August 2005. The worm was named after the tool that was used to create it, which was called the “Zotob”.
The Zotob worm was created by an unknown programmer. The worm was designed to take advantage of a security hole in Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
Once a computer was infected with the Zotob worm, it would start scanning for other vulnerable computers and then infect them as well. The worm would then start causing problems with the affected computer’s internet connection, making it slow or completely unusable.
In addition to causing widespread damage, the Zotob worm also resulted in a lot of embarrassment for Microsoft. This was because the worm was able to infect computers running Windows XP, even though Microsoft had released a patch to fix the security hole that the worm exploited.
14. The Witty Worm (2004)
The Witty worm was a computer worm that spread quickly across the Internet in April 2004. The worm was named after the tool that was used to create it, which was called the “Witty”.
The Witty worm was created by an unknown programmer. The worm was designed to take advantage of a security hole in Microsoft’s Internet Information Server (IIS).
Once a computer was infected with the Witty worm, it would start scanning for other vulnerable computers and then infect them as well. The worm would then start displaying a message on any web page served by the infected computer, stating “Wittcy, a new worm for IIS”.
In addition to causing widespread damage, the Witty worm also resulted in a lot of embarrassment for Microsoft. This was because the worm was able to infect computers running Windows 2000, even though Microsoft had released a patch to fix the security hole that the worm exploited.
15. The SQL Slammer Worm (2003)
The SQL Slammer worm was a computer worm that spread quickly across the Internet in January 2003. The worm was named after the tool that was used to create it, which was called the “SQL Slammer”.
The SQL Slammer worm was created by an unknown programmer. The worm was designed to take advantage of a security hole in Microsoft’s SQL Server.
Once a computer was infected with the SQL Slammer worm, it would start scanning for other vulnerable computers and then infect them as well. The worm would then start causing problems with the affected computer’s internet connection, making it slow or completely unusable.
In addition to causing widespread damage, the SQL Slammer worm also resulted in a lot of embarrassment for Microsoft. This was because the worm was able to infect computers running Windows 2000, even though Microsoft had released a patch to fix the security hole that the worm exploited.
16. The Blaster Worm (2003)
The Blaster worm was a computer worm that spread quickly across the Internet in August 2003. The worm was named after the tool that was used to create it, which was called the “ Blaster”.
The Blaster worm was created by an unknown programmer. The worm was designed to take advantage of a security hole in Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
Once a computer was infected with the Blaster worm, it would start scanning for other vulnerable computers and then infect them as well. The worm would then start displaying a message on the infected computer, stating “I just wanted to say LOVE YOU SANTA!!”.
In addition to causing widespread damage, the Blaster worm also resulted in a lot of embarrassment for Microsoft. This was because the worm was able to infect computers running Windows XP, even though Microsoft had released a patch to fix the security hole that the worm exploited.
17. The SoBig Worm (2003)
The SoBig worm was a computer worm that spread quickly across the Internet in
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