What are some of the most dangerous computer viruses?
Most dangerous computer viruses
There are many computer viruses that can cause harm to your computer, and some can be quite dangerous. Here are some of the most dangerous computer viruses:
1. WannaCry
WannaCry is a ransomware virus that infected over 200,000 computers in 150 countries in 2017. The virus encrypted files on the infected computers and demanded a ransom of $300-$600 to decrypt the files. WannaCry caused over $4 billion in damage, and was particularly harmful to hospitals, as it encrypted important medical files.
2. ILOVEYOU
ILOVEYOU is a virus that spread via email in 2000. The email appeared to be from a lover, and contained the words “I love you” in the subject line. The email also contained an attachment that, when opened, would spread the virus to the recipient’s contacts. ILOVEYOU caused over $5.5 billion in damage, and was responsible for infecting millions of computers.
3. Storm Worm
Storm Worm is a virus that spread via email and instant messages in 2007. The email claimed to be from The Weather Channel, and contained a link to a website that would install the virus on the recipient’s computer. Storm Worm was used to launch denial-of-service attacks and to send spam emails. It is estimated that Storm Worm caused over $1 billion in damage.
4. Code Red
Code Red was a virus that infected over 359,000 computers in 2001. The virus attacked computers that were running Microsoft’s IIS web server software. Once a computer was infected, the virus would spread to other computers running IIS. Code Red caused over $2 billion in damage, and was particularly harmful to government and military computers.
5. MyDoom
MyDoom is a virus that spread via email in 2004. The email appeared to be from a variety of different sources, and contained an attachment that, when opened, would install the virus on the recipient’s computer. MyDoom was used to launch denial-of-service attacks and to send spam emails. It is estimated that MyDoom caused over $38 billion in damage, making it the most costly virus ever.
What is the most common type of computer virus?
There are many types of computer viruses, but the most common type is the Trojan virus. This virus gets its name from the ancient Greek story of Trojan War, in which the Greeks snuck into the city of Troy by hiding in a large wooden horse. The Trojan virus works in a similar way, hiding itself within another program or file in order to trick the user into downloading and running it. Once it is executed, the virus can then perform any number of malicious actions, such as deleting files, stealing data, or even taking control of the entire system.
Visit malwarezero.org to learn more about most dangerous computer virus. Disclaimer: We used this website as a reference for this blog post.