computer virus thesis

October 19, 2001

When did the term 'computer virus' arise?

Four different experts respond: Rob Rosenberger is a computer consultant who maintains the Computer Virus Myths Homepage. He replies: The roots of the modern computer virus go back to 1949, when computer pioneer John von Neumann presented a paper on the "Theory and Organization of Complicated Automata," in which he postulated that a computer program could reproduce. Bell Labs employees gave life to von Neumann's theory in the 1950s in a game they called "Core Wars." In this game, two programmers would unleash software "organisms" and watch as they vied for control of the computer. You can read about Core Wars in the May 1984 issue of Scientific American.

Strangely enough, two science-fiction books in the 1970s helped to promote the concept of a replicating program. John Brunner's Shockwave Rider and Thomas Ryan's Adolescence of P-1 depicted worlds where a piece of software could transfer itself from one computer to another without detection. Back in the real world, Fred Cohen presented the first rigorous mathematical definition for a computer virus in his 1986 Ph.D. thesis. Cohen coined the term "virus" at this point and is considered the father of what we know today as a computer virus. He sums it up in one sentence as "a program that can infect other programs by modifying them to include a, possibly evolved, version of itself."

The media seldom mentioned computer viruses in the mid-1980s, treating the whole concept as an obscure theoretical problem. The media's perception of viruses took a dramatic turn in late 1988, when a college student named Robert T. Morris unleashed the infamous "Internet Worm." (Some trivia: Morris's father had a hand in the original Core Wars games.) Reporters grew infatuated with the idea of a tiny piece of software knocking out big mainframe computers worldwide. The rest, as they say, is history.

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Some references:

V.I.R.U.S. Protection, by Pamela Kane. Bantam Books, New York, 1989.

"Computer Viruses: Theory and Experiments," described by Frederick B. Cohen in A Short Course on Computer Viruses. ASP Press, Pittsburgh, 1990.

Steven White, manager of IBM Research's Massively Distributed System Group, offers some complementary information:

The term "computer virus" was coined in the early 1980s. Fred Cohen, then a Ph.D. student at the University of Southern California, came up with the idea of using self-replicating software, which spreads by attaching itself to existing programs as a way of attacking the security of multi-user computing systems. He showed this idea to Len Adleman, his thesis advisor. Adleman pointed out the similarity to a biological virus, which uses the resources of the cell it attacks to reproduce itself, and the term "computer virus" began its journey into everyday English.

Since then, computer viruses have mimicked their biological namesakes, spreading digital disease around the world. And here at IBM Research, we are taking inspiration from biological defenses to viruses and creating a kind of immune system for cyberspace, which will be able to find, analyze and eliminate new computer viruses from the world's computers quickly and automatically.

Alex Haddox is product manager of the Symantec AntiVirus Research Center, which manufactures Norton AntiVirus products. He adds:

The history of the computer virus began in the 1940s when John von Neumann published a paper called "Theory and Organization of Complicated Automata," which documented the possibility of replicating computer programs. John Conway is credited with creating the first "virus" in the form of a life emulating program called the "Game of Life" in the 1960s. In the 1970s the first true self-replicating programs, referred to as "organisms," were written as experiments in artificial intelligence on UNIX systems and used in small, isolated network type games by large research companies. In 1983 the term "virus" was first coined to describe self-replicating programs by Frederick Cohen and his colleague, Len Adleman. The first reports of serious damage from a PC virus occurred in 1986; the infection was caused by the "Pakistani Brain" virus, which was written by two brothers, Basit and Amjad Farooq Alvi, of Lahore, Pakistan.

A final reply comes from Jacob Motola of Integralis, a software security company:

The concept behind the first malicious computer programs was described years ago in the Computer Recreations column of Scientific American. The metaphor of the "computer virus" was adopted because of the similarity in form, function and consequence with biological viruses that attack the human system. Computer viruses can insert themselves in another program, taking over control or adversely affecting the function of the program.

Like their biological counterparts, computer viruses can spread rapidly and self-replicate systematically. They also mimic living viruses in the way they must adapt through mutation to the development of resistance within a system: the author of a computer virus must upgrade his creation in order to overcome the resistance (antiviral programs) or to take advantage of new weakness or loophole within the system.

Computer viruses also act like biologics in the way they can be set off: they can be virulent from the outset of the infection, or they can be activated by a specific event (logic bomb). But computer viruses can also be triggered at a specific time (time bomb). Most viruses act innocuous towards a system until their specific condition is met.

The computer industry has expanded the metaphor to now include terms like inoculation, disinfection, quarantine and sanitation. Now if your system gets infected by a computer virus you can quarantine it until you can call the "virus doctor" who can direct you to the appropriate "virus clinic" where your system can be inoculated and disinfected and an anti-virus program can be prescribed.

Answer originally posted September 2, 1997.

Title: An introduction to computer viruses

This report on computer viruses is based upon a thesis written for the Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Tennessee in December 1989 by David R. Brown. This thesis is entitled An Analysis of Computer Virus Construction, Proliferation, and Control and is available through the University of Tennessee Library. This paper contains an overview of the computer virus arena that can help the reader to evaluate the threat that computer viruses pose. The extent of this threat can only be determined by evaluating many different factors. These factors include the relative ease with which a computer virus can be written, the motivation involved in writing a computer virus, the damage and overhead incurred by infected systems, and the legal implications of computer viruses, among others. Based upon the research, the development of a computer virus seems to require more persistence than technical expertise. This is a frightening proclamation to the computing community. The education of computer professionals to the dangers that viruses pose to the welfare of the computing industry as a whole is stressed as a means of inhibiting the current proliferation of computer virus programs. Recommendations are made to assist computer users in preventing infection by computer viruses. These recommendations support solid general computer security practices as a means of combating computer viruses.

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An Abstract Theory of Computer Viruses

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In recent years the detection of computer viruses has become common place. It appears that for the most part these viruses have been ‘benign’ or only mildly destructive. However, whether or not computer viruses have the potential to cause major and prolonged disruptions of computing environments is an open question.

Research supported by NSF through grant CCR 8519296

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Cohen F. Computer Viruses. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Southern California, Jan. 1986.

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Adleman, L.M. (1990). An Abstract Theory of Computer Viruses. In: Goldwasser, S. (eds) Advances in Cryptology — CRYPTO’ 88. CRYPTO 1988. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 403. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-34799-2_28

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Fred Cohen and the first Computer Virus

Hex dump of the Blaster worm, showing a message left for Microsoft CEO Bill Gates by the worm’s programmer

On November 10, 1983, U.S. student Fred Cohen at the University of Southern California ‘s School of Engineering presented to a security seminar the results of his test , a program for a parasitic application that seized control of computer operations, one of the first computer viruses , created as an experiment in computer security .

John von Neumann – the “Father of Computer Virology”

But, the history of computer viruses dates back even further. The first academic work on the theory of self-replicating computer programs was performed in 1949 by John von Neumann  who gave lectures at the University of Illinois about the “ Theory and Organization of Complicated Automata “.[ 1 ] Von Neumann founded the field of cellular automata  and did first experiments on self replicating automatons with pencil and paper. Later his work was published as the “ Theory of self-reproducing automata “, where described how a computer program could be designed to reproduce itself. Von Neumann’s design for a self-reproducing computer program is considered the world’s first computer virus, and he is considered to be the theoretical father of computer virology .

Self-Reproducing Automata

Already in 1972, the Austrian computer scientist Veith Risak, directly building on von Neumann’s work on self-replication, published his article “ Selbstreproduzierende Automaten mit minimaler Informationsübertragung ” (Self-reproducing automata with minimal information exchange), in which he described a fully functional virus written in assembler language for a SIEMENS 4004/35 computer system. In 1980 Jürgen Kraus wrote his diplom thesis “ Selbstreproduktion bei Programmen ” ( Self-reproduction of programs ) at the University of Dortmund , in which he postulated that computer programs can behave in a way similar to biological viruses [2].

The Creeper

Also already in the ARPANET , the forerunner of today’s internet, there was a virus called Creeper . The Creeper virus was first detected on ARPANET in the early 1970s. It was an experimental self-replicating program written by Bob Thomas at BBN Technologies in 1971, which used the ARPANET to infect DEC PDP-10 computers running. Creeper gained access via the ARPANET and copied itself to the remote system where the message, “ I’m the creeper, catch me if you can! ” was displayed. The Reaper program was created to delete Creeper. In 1975, British author John Brunner published the novel The Shockwave Rider ,[5] in which he foresaw the danger of Internet viruses. Also  the idea of swarm intelligence is outlined in his story. The 1973 Michael Crichton sci-fi movie Westworld made an early mention of the concept of a computer virus, being a central plot theme that causes androids to run amok. In 1979, his colleague Thomas J. Ryan described in The Adolescence of P-1 how an artificial intelligence spreads virus-like across the national computer network.

The Birth of the “Computer Virus”

Then, in 1983, Fred Cohen, a student at the University of Southern California ‘s School of Engineering, wrote a program for a parasitic application that seized control of computer operations in Leonard Adleman’s  class – Adleman was one of the co-inventors of the RSA  encryption. Cohen wrote a short program, as an experiment, that could “infect” computers, make copies of itself, and spread from one machine to another. It was hidden inside a larger, legitimate program, which was loaded into a computer on a floppy disk. In 1984, Fred Cohen wrote his paper “ Computer Viruses – Theory and Experiments ” [3]. It was the first paper to explicitly call a self-reproducing program a “virus”, a term introduced by Cohen’s mentor Leonard Adleman. In 1987, Fred Cohen published a demonstration that there is no algorithm that can perfectly detect all possible viruses. Fred Cohen’s theoretical compression virus was an example of a virus which was not malware , but was putatively benevolent. However, antivirus professionals do not accept the concept of benevolent viruses, as any desired function can be implemented without involving a virus. Any virus will by definition make unauthorized changes to a computer, which is undesirable even if no damage is done or intended.

Tequila Virus (1991, x86 MSDOS)

And the Virus became a Worm

Before computer networks became widespread, most viruses spread on removable media, particularly floppy disks. In the early days of the personal computer, many users regularly exchanged information and programs on floppies. Some viruses spread by infecting programs stored on these disks, while others installed themselves into the disk boot sector, ensuring that they would be run when the user booted the computer from the disk, usually inadvertently. Of course this should change with the advent of the internet. Then, the computer virus became a computer worm . A computer worm is a standalone malware self replicating computer program that is supposed to spread to other computers via a computer network. A computer worm relies on security failures on the target computer to access it. Unlike a computer virus, it does not need to attach itself to an existing program. Worms almost always cause at least some harm to the network, even if only by consuming bandwidth, whereas viruses almost always corrupt or modify files on a targeted computer.

References and Further Reading:

• [1] John von Neumann – Game Theory and the Digital Computer , SciHi Blog.
• [2] D. Bilar, E. Filiol (ed.) On self-reproducing computer programs , Master Thesis in Computer Science University of Dortmund, in Journal in Computer Virology February 2009, Volume 5, Issue 1, pp 9-87
• [3] Fred Cohen: Computer Viruses and Experiments , 1984
• [4]  @mikkohypponen ,  DEFCON 19: The History and the Evolution of Computer Viruses , (2011), blackhattish @ youtube
• [5] John Brunner: The Shockwave Rider . Harper & Row, 1975
• [6]  von Neumann, John (1966).  “ Theory of Self-Reproducing Automata “ .  Essays on Cellular Automata . University of Illinois Press: 66–87.
• [7] Computer Virus at Wikidata
• [8]  “The Internet comes down with a virus” .  The New York Times . August 6, 2014.
• [9] Timeline of Computer Security Exploits , via DBpedia and Wikidata

Harald Sack

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Computer Viruses: Spreading, Multiplying and Damaging Essay

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A computer virus is a software program designed to interfere with the normal computer functioning by infecting the computer operating system (Szor, 2005). These viruses have the capability of spreading from one computer to another. They are also capable of multiplying. Viruses cause myriads of working challenges to computers ranging from destruction of files, slowing down computer performance, renaming files in computers and eventually making it difficult to access stored files (Szor, 2005).

These viruses can spread from one computer to another through an internet connection and sharing of floppy disks, flash discs and any other external and portable device that can transfer data from one machine to another. Viruses are distinguished from worms because they cannot run automatically (Szor, 2005). Therefore, the user of a computer must perform a function that will necessitate their operations.

The virus programs are not-self generated within a computer system. However, they are designed and produced by computer hackers. The hackers who design most common computer viruses usually come up with the names (US-CERT , 2012).

Some of these viruses include Melissa, the Anna Kournikova, MyDoom, Sasser & Netsky, the ILOVEYOU virus, The Klez Virus, Code Red and Code Red II, Nimda virus, SQL Slammer/Sapphire virus, Leap-A/Oompa-A virus, and Storm Worm (US-CERT , 2012). All these viruses are tools used by hackers to destroy and access remote computer files.

There are many ways through which a computer can be infected by a virus. These may range from direct access such as file sharing to remote access portals such as using internet connectivity. For a computer virus to be effective, it must be allowed to run by the user through various means (US-CERT, 2012). A computer user can accept any new message on the screen without knowing the information in the file.

In this way, a computer virus is then allowed to run, causing harm to the computer. If a computer user opens unknown attachments, then viruses can easily find access into files in a computer. If a computer’s operating system is not updated, it will not be able to filter viruses, making it more vulnerable to attacks (US-CERT , 2012).

In addition, downloading files from unsecure sources allows viruses to gain access to a computer. Viruses can also be hidden within some software. For instance, during software installation, viruses are allowed to infiltrate into computer files (US-CERT , 2012).

Viruses have become a major challenge to several companies across the world. However, some measures can be taken to regulate the spread of these computer viruses. For instance, the use of an updated antivirus program sourced from a reputable vendor offers computer protection against most viruses (US-CERT , 2012).

The antivirus must be frequently updated and configured to automatically start as the computer is switched on. Besides, the antivirus should be configured to allow regular virus scanning and virus check when running executable file on the computer. Backing up data is also an important method of protecting a computer from loss of data due to virus infection. The internet is the most common source of viruses.

When dealing with any form of data from an online source, make sure that the source is well known. The use of USB data transfer gadgets should be well monitored and conducted with caution. The antivirus in this case should be used to scan USB drives before accessing the files. The most important protection is making sure that the operating system is updated and the firewall is always activated.

It is also possible to erase crucial information from hard disc drives using viruses. This information may be data collected from a crime scene, banking records, confidential files, and even important government files (Szor, 2005). The use of viruses can manipulate important computer information such as bank records resulting into an individual accessing vital and confidential records. The development and use of viruses has always been aimed at committing crime either directly or indirectly.

Szor, P. (2005). The Art of Computer Virus Research and Defense. Boston, MA: Addison-Wesley Professional.

US-CERT (2012). Virus Basics. Web.

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Computer Virus

A computer virus is a type of malware that attaches to another program and can replicate and spread to other computers. Think you have a computer virus? Download Malwarebytes free to scan your computer.

FREE COMPUTER VIRUS SCAN FOR ALL DEVICES

What is computer virus?

A computer virus is a type of malware that attaches to another program (like a document), which can replicate and spread after a person first runs it on their system. For instance, you could receive an email with a malicious attachment, open the file unknowingly, and then the computer virus runs on your computer. Viruses are harmful and can destroy data, slow down system resources, and log keystrokes.

Cybercriminals aren’t creating new viruses all the time, instead they focus their efforts on more sophisticated and lucrative threats. When people talk about “getting a virus” on their computer, they usually mean some form of malware—it could be a virus, computer worm, Trojan, ransomware or some other harmful thing. Viruses and malware continue to evolve, and often cybercriminals use the type that gives them the best return at that particular time. 

“When people talk about “getting a virus” on their computer, they usually mean some form of malware—it could be a virus, computer worm, Trojan, ransomware or some other harmful thing.”

Virus vs. malware – what is the difference? 

The terms “virus” and “malware” are often used interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing. While a computer virus is a type of malware, not all malware are computer viruses. 

The easiest way to differentiate computer viruses from other forms of malware is to think about viruses in biological terms . Take the flu virus, for example. The flu requires some kind of interaction between two people—like a hand shake, a kiss, or touching something an infected person touched. Once the flu virus gets inside a person’s system it attaches to healthy human cells, using those cells to create more viral cells.

A computer virus works in much the same way:

• A computer virus requires a host program.
• A computer virus requires user action to transmit from one system to another.
• A computer virus attaches bits of its own malicious code to other files or replaces files outright with copies of itself.

It’s that second virus trait that tends to confuse people. Viruses can’t spread without some sort of action from a user, like opening up an infected Word document. Worms, on the other hand, are able to spread across systems and networks on their own, making them much more prevalent and dangerous.

Famously, the 2017 WannaCry ransomware worm spread around the world, took down thousands of Windows systems, and raked in an appreciable amount of untraceable Bitcoin ransom payments for the alleged North Korean attackers.

Computer viruses don’t typically capture headlines like that—at least not anymore. They are still a harmful type of malware, but they are not the only type of threat out there today, on your computer or mobile device. 

Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS

Many computer viruses target systems running Microsoft Windows. Macs, on the other hand, have enjoyed a reputation as virus-proof super machines, but in Apple’s own admission, Macs do get malware . There are more Windows users in the world than Mac users  and cybercriminals simply choose to write viruses for the operating system (OS) with the largest amount of potential victims. 

Today, the “computer” in our pockets may be the one we use most often: our smartphones. Android and iOS are susceptible to various forms of malware, too. Fortunately, most cybersecurity companies like Malwarebytes offer protection for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS today. 

Computer virus examples

Sometimes to understand what something is, we have to examine what it isn’t. Keeping that in mind, let’s play: Is It a Virus ?

In the Is It a Virus game we’re going to take a look at examples of things people on the Internet commonly believe to be a virus and explain why it is or isn’t. What fun!

Is a Trojan a virus? Trojans can be viruses. A Trojan is a computer program pretending to be something it’s not for the purposes of sneaking onto your computer and delivering some sort of malware. To put it another way, if a virus disguises itself then it’s a Trojan. A Trojan could be a seemingly benign file downloaded off the web or a Word doc attached to an email. Think that movie you downloaded from your favorite P2P sharing site is safe? What about that “important” tax document from your accountant? Think twice, because they could contain a virus.

Is a worm a virus? Worms are not viruses, though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Even worse, the terms are sometimes used together in a strange and contradictory word salad; i.e. a “worm virus malware.” It’s either a worm or a virus, but it can’t be both, because worms and viruses refer to two similar but different threats. As mentioned earlier, a virus needs a host system to replicate and some sort of action from a user to spread from one system to the next.

A worm, conversely, doesn’t need a host system and is capable of spreading across a network and any systems connected to the network without user action. Once on a system, worms are known to drop malware (often ransomware) or open a backdoor .

Is ransomware a virus? Ransomware can be a virus. Does the virus prevent victims from accessing their system or personal files and demands ransom payment in order to regain access à la ransomware? If so, then it’s a ransomware virus. In fact, the very first ransomware was a virus (more on that later). Nowadays, most ransomware comes as a result of computer worm, capable of spreading from one system to the next and across networks without user action (e.g. WannaCry).

Is a rootkit a virus? Rootkits are not viruses. A rootkit is a software package designed to give attackers “root” access or admin access to a given system. Crucially, rootkits cannot self-replicate and don’t spread across systems.

Is a software bug a virus? Software bugs are not viruses. Even though we sometimes refer to a biological virus as a “bug” (e.g. “I caught a stomach bug”), software bugs and viruses are not the same thing. A software bug refers to a flaw or mistake in the computer code that a given software program is made up of. Software bugs can cause programs to behave in ways the software manufacturer never intended.

The Y2K bug famously caused programs to display the wrong date, because the programs could only manage dates through the year 1999. After 1999 the year rolled over like the odometer on an old car to 1900. While the Y2K bug was relatively harmless, some software bugs can pose a serious threat to consumers. Cybercriminals can take advantage of bugs in order to gain unauthorized access to a system for the purposes of dropping malware, stealing private information, or opening up a backdoor. This is known as an exploit .

How do I prevent computer viruses?

Preventing computer viruses from infecting your computer starts with situational awareness. “Situational awareness is something law enforcement and militaries have practiced for decades. It refers to a police officer or a soldier’s ability to perceive threats and make the best decision possible in a potentially stressful situation,” said Malwarebytes Head of Security, John Donovan.

“As it applies to cybersecurity, situational awareness is your first line of defense against cyberthreats. By staying on the lookout for phishing attacks and avoiding suspicious links and attachments, consumers can largely avoid most malware threats.”

Regarding email attachments and embedded links, even if the sender is someone you know: viruses have been known to hijack Outlook contact lists on infected computers and send virus laden attachments to friends, family and coworkers, the Melissa virus being a perfect example.

If an email reads oddly, it’s probably a phishing scam or malspam . When in doubt about the authenticity of an email, don’t be afraid to reach out to the sender. A simple call or text message can save you a lot of trouble.

Next, invest in good cybersecurity software. We’ve made a distinction between computer viruses and malware, which now begs the question, “Do I need antivirus software or anti-malware software?” We’ve covered this topic before in great detail so checkout our article on antivirus vs. anti-malware . For now, though, here’s a quick gloss on the subject.

Antivirus (AV) refers to early forms of cybersecurity software focused on stopping computer viruses. Just viruses. Anti-malware refers to all-encompassing threat protection designed to stop old-fashioned viruses as well as today’s malware threats. Given a choice between traditional AV with limited threat detection technology and modern anti-malware with all the bells and whistles, invest in anti-malware and rest easy at night.

As mentioned previously in this piece, traditional AV solutions rely on signature-based detection. AV scans your computer and compares each and every file against a database of known viruses that functions a lot like a criminal database. If there’s a signature match, the malicious file is thrown into virus jail before it can cause any damage.

The problem with signature-based detection is that it can’t stop what’s known as a zero-day virus; that is, a virus that cybersecurity researchers have never seen before and for which there is no criminal profile. Until the zero-day virus is added to the database, traditional AV can’t detect it.

Malwarebytes’ Multi-Vector Protection, conversely, combines several forms of threat detection technology into one malware crushing machine. Amongst these many layers of protection, Malwarebytes uses what’s called heuristic analysis to look for telltale malicious behavior from any given program. If it looks like a virus and behaves like a virus, then it’s probably a virus.

Use a VPN to protect your privacy online, especially when you’re on the public Wi-Fi network. A VPN app hides your IP address and tunnels your traffic through a secure connection. Read more about VPN here – What is VPN . 

How do I remove computer viruses?

Going back to our virus analogy one final time—removing a virus from your body requires a healthy immune system. Same for your computer. A good anti-malware program is like having a healthy immune system. As your immune system moves through your body looking for and killing off invading viral cells, anti-malware scans for files and malicious code that don’t belong on your system and gets rid of them.

The free version of Malwarebytes is a good place to start if you know or suspect your computer has a virus. Available for Windows and Mac, the free version of Malwarebytes will scan for malware infections and clean them up after the fact. Get a free premium trial of Malwarebytes for Windows or Malwarebytes for Mac to stop infections before they start. You can also try our Android and iOS apps free  to protect your smartphones and tablets. 

History of computer viruses

Today’s malware authors owe a lot to the cybercriminals of yesteryear. All the tactics and techniques employed by cybercriminals creating modern malware were first seen in early viruses. Things like Trojans, ransomware, and polymorphic code. These all came from early computer viruses. To understand the threat landscape of today, we need to peer back through time and look at the viruses of yesteryear.

1949, John von Neumann and “self-reproducing machines” It was in those salad days of computing that mathematician, engineer, and polymath John von Neumann delivered a lecture on the Theory and Organization of Complicated Automata  in which he first argued that computer programs could “self-reproduce.” In an era where computers were the size of houses, and programs were stored on mile-long punch tapes, Neumann’s ideas must’ve sounded like something from a sci-fi pulp novel.

1982, The proto computer-virus In 1982 a fifteen-year-old boy pranking his friends proved Neumann’s theory a reality. Rich Skrenta’s Elk Cloner is widely regarded as the first proto-computer virus (the term “computer virus” didn’t exist just yet). Elk Cloner targeted Apple II computers, causing infected machines to display a poem from Skrenta:

Elk Cloner: The program with a personality It will get on all your disks It will infiltrate your chips Yes, it’s Cloner!

It will stick to you like glue It will modify RAM too Send in the Cloner!

Other notable firsts—Elk Cloner was the first virus to spread via detachable storage media (it wrote itself to any floppy disk inserted into the computer). For many years to come, that’s how viruses travelled across systems—via infected floppy disk passed from user to user.

1984, Computer virus, defined In 1984 computer scientist Fred Cohen handed in his graduate thesis paper, Computer Viruses – Theory and Experiments   in which he coined the term “computer virus,” which is great because “complicated self-reproducing automata” is a real mouthful. In the same paper, Cohen also gave us our first definition of “computer virus” as “a program that can ‘infect’ other programs by modifying them to include a possibly evolved copy of itself.”

1984, Core War Up to this point, most talk about computer viruses happened only in the rarified air of college campuses and research labs. But a 1984 Scientific American article let the virus out of the lab. In the piece, author and computer scientist A.K. Dewdney shared the details of an exciting new computer game of his creation called Core War. In the game, computer programs vie for control of a virtual computer.

The game was essentially a battle arena where computer programmers could pit their viral creations against each other. For two dollars Dewdney would send detailed instructions for setting up your own Core War battles within the confines of a virtual computer. What would happen if a battle program was taken out of the virtual computer and placed on a real computer system?

In a follow-up article for Scientific American, Dewdney shared a letter from two Italian readers who were inspired by their experience with Core War to create a real virus on the Apple II. It’s not a stretch to think other readers were similarly inspired.

1986, the first PC virus The Brain virus was the first to target Microsoft’s text-based Windows precursor, MS-DOS. The brainchild of Pakistani brothers and software engineers, Basit and Amjad Farooq, Brain acted like an early form of copyright protection, stopping people from pirating their heart monitoring software.

If the target system contained a pirated version of the brother’s software, the “victim” would receive the on-screen message, “WELCOME TO THE DUNGEON . . . CONTACT US FOR VACCINATION” along with the brothers’ names, phone number, and business address in Pakistan. Other than guilt tripping victims in to paying for their pirated software, Brain had no harmful effects.

Speaking with F-Secure , Basit called Brain a “very friendly virus.” Amjad added that today’s viruses, the descendants of Brain, are “a purely criminal act.”

1986, Viruses go into stealth mode Also in 1986, the BHP virus was the first to target the Commodore 64 computer. Infected computers displayed a text message with the names of the multiple hackers who created the virus—the digital equivalent of scrawling “(your name) was here” on the side of a building. BHP also has the distinction of being the first stealth virus; that is, a virus that avoids detection by hiding the changes it makes to a target system and its files.

1988, Computer virus of the year 1988, one could argue, was the year computer viruses went mainstream. In September of that year, a story on computer viruses appeared on the cover of TIME magazine. The cover image depicted viruses as cute, googly eyed cartoon insects crawling all over a desktop computer. Up to this point, computer viruses were relatively harmless. Yes, they were annoying, but not destructive. So how did computer viruses go from nuisance threat to system destroying plague?

“Viruses were all about peace and love—until they started crashing people’s computers.”

1988, A message of peace goes haywire Viruses were all about peace and love—until they started crashing people’s computers. The MacMag virus caused infected Macs to display an onscreen message on March 2, 1988:

RICHARD BRANDOW , publisher of MacMag, and its entire staff would like to take this opportunity to convey their UNIVERSAL MESSAGE OF PEACE to all Macintosh users around the world

Unfortunately, a bug in the virus caused infected Macs to crash well before Brandow’s day of “universal peace.” The virus was also designed to delete itself after displaying Brandow’s message but ended up deleting other user files along with it. One of the victims, a software executive working for Aldus Corp, inadvertently copied the virus to a pre-production version of Aldus’ Freehand illustration software. The infected Freehand was then copied and shipped to several thousand customers, making MacMag the first virus spread via legitimate commercial software product.

Drew Davidson, the person who actually coded the MacMag virus (Brandow wasn’t a coder), told TIME he created his virus to draw attention to his programming skills.

“I just thought we’d release it and it would be kind of neat,” Davidson said.

1988, front page of The New York Times A little over a month after the TIME magazine piece, a story about the “most serious computer ‘virus’ attack” in US history appeared on the front page of The New York Times . It was Robert Tappan Morris’ Internet worm, erroneously referred to as a “virus.” In all fairness, no one knew what a worm was. Morris’s creation was the archetype.

The Morris worm knocked out more than 6,000 computers as it spread across the ARPANET , a government operated early version of the Internet restricted to schools and military installations. The Morris worm was the first known use of a dictionary attack. As the name suggests, a dictionary attack involves taking a list of words and using it to try and guess the username and password combination of a target system.

Robert Morris was the first person charged under the newly enacted Computer Fraud and Abuse Act , which made it illegal to mess with government and financial systems, and any computer that contributes to US commerce and communications. In his defense, Morris never intended his namesake worm to cause so much damage. According to Morris, the worm was designed to test security flaws and estimate the size of the early Internet. A bug caused the worm to infect targeted systems over and over again, with each subsequent infection consuming processing power until the system crashed.

1989, Computer viruses go viral In 1989 the AIDS Trojan was the first example of what would later come to be known as ransomware. Victims received a 5.25-inch floppy disk in the mail labelled “AIDS Information” containing a simple questionnaire designed to help recipients figure out if they were at risk for the AIDS virus (the biological one).

While an apt (albeit insensitive) metaphor, there’s no indication the virus’ creator, Dr. Joseph L. Popp, intended to draw parallels between his digital creation and the deadly AIDS virus. Many of the 20,000 disk recipients, Medium reported, were delegates for the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO previously rejected Popp for an AIDS research position.

Loading the questionnaire infected target systems with the AIDS Trojan. The AIDS Trojan would then lay dormant for the next 89 boot ups. When victims started their computer for the 90th time, they’d be presented with an on-screen message ostensibly from “PC Cyborg Corporation” demanding payment for “your software lease,” similar to the Brain virus from three years earlier. Unlike the Brain virus, however, the AIDS Trojan encrypted the victims’ files.

In an era before Bitcoin and other untraceable cryptocurrencies, victims had to send ransom funds to a PO box in Panama in order to receive the decryption software and regain access to their files. Funds, Popp claimed after his arrest, were destined for AIDS virus research.

1990s, Rise of the Internet By 1990 ARPANET was decommissioned in favor of its public, commercially accessible cousin the Internet. And thanks to Tim Berners-Lee’s pioneering work on web browsers and web pages, the Internet was now a user-friendly place anyone could explore without special technical knowledge. There were 2.6 million users on the Internet in 1990, according to Our World in Data. By the end of the decade, that number would surpass 400 million.

With the rise of the Internet came new ways for viruses to spread.

1990, Mighty morphin’ 1260 virus Cybersecurity researcher Mark Washburn wanted to demonstrate the weaknesses in traditional antivirus (AV) products. Traditional AV works by comparing the files on your computer with a giant list of known viruses. Every virus on the list is made of computer code and every snippet of code has a unique signature—like a fingerprint.

If a snippet of code found on your computer matches that of a known virus in the database, the file is flagged. Washburn’s 1260 virus avoided detection by constantly changing its fingerprint every time it replicated itself across a system. While each copy of the 1260 virus looked and acted the same, the underlying code was different. This is called polymorphic code, making 1260 the first polymorphic virus.

1999, “You’ve got mail (and also a virus)” Think back to 1999. If someone you knew sent you an email that read “Here is the document you requested … don’t show anyone else ;-),” you opened the attachment.

This was how the Melissa virus spread and it played on the public’s naiveté about how viruses worked up to that point. Melissa was a macro virus. Viruses of this type hide within the macro language commonly used in Microsoft Office files. Opening up a viral Word doc, Excel spreadsheet, etc. triggers the virus. Melissa was the fastest spreading virus up to that point, infecting approximately 250,000 computers, Medium reported.

2012, A full Shamoon over Saudi Arabia By the turn of the 21st century, the roadmap for future malware threats had been set. Viruses paved the way for a whole new generation of destructive malware. Cryptojackers stealthily used our computers to mine cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Ransomware held our computers hostage. Banking Trojans, like Emotet , stole our financial information. Spyware and keyloggers shoulder surfed us from across the web, stealing our usernames and passwords.

Old-school viruses were, for the most part, a thing of the past. In 2012, however, viruses made one last grab at the world’s attention with the Shamoon virus. Shamoon targeted computers and network systems belonging to Aramco, the state-owned Saudi Arabian oil company, in response to Saudi government policy decisions in the Middle East.

The attack stands as one of the most destructive malware attacks on a single organization in history, completely wiping out three-quarters of Aramco’s systems, The New York Times reported. In a perfect example of what comes around goes around, cybersecurity researchers have suggested the attack started with an infected USB storage drive—the modern equivalent of the floppy disks used to carry the very first virus, Elk Cloner.

Today, tech support scams Decades have passed since computer viruses reached their destructive zenith but there’s a related threat you should know about. Commonly referred to as a tech support scam or a virus hoax , this modern threat isn’t a virus at all.

Here’s how tech support scams work. The victim is served up a bogus pop-up ad after landing on a spoofed website or as a result of an adware infection. In a recent example , scammers used malvertising to link victims to malicious support sites after victims searched for things like cooking tips and recipes.

We’ve also seen hacked WordPress sites redirecting to support scam sites. The bogus ad is designed to look like a system alert generated by the operating system, and it may say something like, “Security alert: Your computer might be infected by harmful viruses,” along with contact information for “Technical Support.” There’s no virus and no technical support—just scammers who will make it seem like you have a virus and demand payment to “fix” it.

According to the Federal Trade Commission there were 143,000 reports about tech support scams in 2018, with total losses reaching $55 million. What makes this scam particularly insidious is that cybercriminals frequently target the most vulnerable part of the world’s population. People 60-years-old and over were five times more likely to report being a victim of a tech support scam.

Is Chromium a virus?

As discussed above, a number of things that are called viruses are not actually viruses. Some of those, like ransomware or computer worms, are still malicious, but they are not computer viruses. Some things that are not malicious are sometimes suspected as viruses, and Chromium is a good example of this. 

Chromium is not a virus. Chromium is a free open-source web browser project by Google. Much of the Chromium code serves as source code for Google Chrome, a legitimate and popular web browser. Just because you suddenly have Chromium on your computer doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s malware. You may have unwittingly installed a legitimate copy of Chromium that was bundled with other software.

Because Chromium is open-source, anyone can download Chromium and modify it to suit their needs. Bad actors could download Chromium and alter it to serve malicious purposes. WebNavigator Chromium browser is an example of a threat actor adapting Chromium code and using it as a search hijacker. However to reiterate, Chromium itself is not a virus. 

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What are computer viruses?

A computer virus is  a type of malware that attaches to another program (like a document), which can replicate and spread after a person first runs it on their system . or instance, you could receive an email with a malicious attachment, open the file unknowingly, and then the computer virus runs on your computer.

How do I check my computer from viruses?

Run a virus scan which scans your system for viruses and malware. 

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Journal articles on the topic "Computer viruses"

Melhum, Amera I., and Susan A. Mahmood. "Parasitic Computer Viruses." Journal of Zankoy Sulaimani - Part A 4, no. 1 (September 5, 2000): 45–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.17656/jzs.10064.

Gagescu, Raluca. "Computer viruses." Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 2, no. 5 (May 2001): 324. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/35073057.

Weems, Robyn P. "Computer Viruses." Library & Archival Security 14, no. 2 (August 18, 1998): 51–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/j114v14n02_07.

Subramanya, S. R., and N. Lakshminarasimhan. "Computer viruses." IEEE Potentials 20, no. 4 (2001): 16–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/45.969588.

Fountain, V. A. E. "Computer viruses." IEE Review 34, no. 10 (1988): 399. http://dx.doi.org/10.1049/ir:19880159.

Morgan Lloyd, Mark. "Computer viruses." IEE Review 35, no. 9 (1989): 338. http://dx.doi.org/10.1049/ir:19890149.

Siegel, Michael A. "Computer Viruses." Journal of the American Dental Association 123, no. 11 (November 1992): 10–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.14219/jada.archive.1992.0303.

Abelson, Martin N. "Computer viruses." American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics 104, no. 1 (July 1993): 96–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0889-5406(08)80123-0.

Cohen, Fred. "Computer viruses." Computers & Security 6, no. 1 (February 1987): 22–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0167-4048(87)90122-2.

Hennessy, Chris. "Computer viruses." Computer Law & Security Review 5, no. 5 (January 1990): 40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0267-3649(90)90050-l.

Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Computer viruses"

Luke, James Steven. "Detecting previously unseen computer viruses." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.274015.

Szeto, Wai-chi. "Computer virus prevention and control in Hong Kong /." [Hong Kong] : University of Hong Kong, 1993. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B13302371.

Posluszny, Frank S. "Overcoming limitations in computer worm models." Link to electronic thesis, 2005. http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/ETD/Available/etd-01315-115046.

Weideman, Melius. "A critical evaluation of the destructive impact of computer viruses on files stored by personal computer users." Thesis, Cape Technikon, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/1363.

Schultz, John S. "Offline forensic analysis of Microsoft Windows XP physical memory." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Springfield, Va. : Naval Postgraduate School ; Available from National Technical Information Service, 2006. http://library.nps.navy.mil/uhtbin/hyperion/06Sep%5FSchultz.pdf.

Li, Xin. "Computer viruses: The threat today and the expected future." Thesis, Linköping University, Department of Electrical Engineering, 2003. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-1998.

This Master’s Thesis within the area computer security concerns ”Computer viruses: The threat today and the expected future”.

Firstly, the definitions of computer virus and the related threats are presented; Secondly, current situation of computer viruses are discussed, the working and spreading mechanisms of computer viruses are reviewed in details, simplistic attitude of computer world in computer virus defence is analyzed; Thirdly, today’s influencing factors for near future computer virus epidemics are explained, then it further predicts new possible types of computer viruses in the near future; Furthermore, currently available anti-virus technologies are analyzed concerning both advantages and disadvantages; Finally, new promising trends in computer virus defence are explored in details.

Posluszny, III Frank S. "Overcoming Limitations in Computer Worm Models." Digital WPI, 2005. https://digitalcommons.wpi.edu/etd-theses/151.

Webster, Matthew Paul. "Formal models of reproduction : from computer viruses to artificial life." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2008. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.501590.

林衛華 and Wai-wa Lam. "Multi-agent based human immune system." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1999. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31221117.

Lam, Wai-wa. "Multi-agent based human immune system /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1999. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B2093337X.

Books on the topic "Computer viruses"

Roberts, Ralph, and Ralph Roberts. Computer viruses: A Compute! book . Edited by Stephen Levy. Greensboro, NC: Compute! Books, 1988.

Henderson, Harry. Computer viruses . San Diego, Calf: Lucent Books, 2005.

Stang, David J. Computer viruses . 7th ed. [Washington, D.C.]: National Computer Security Association, 1991.

Denning, Peter J. Computer viruses . [Moffett Field, Calif.?]: Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science, 1988.

Peers, Eddie. Computer viruses . [London]: Deloitte Haskins & Sells, 1989.

Collier, Paul. Computer viruses . London: Member Services Directorate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, 1991.

Shea, John M. Combating computer viruses . New York: Gareth Stevens, 2013.

M, Duffy Neil, ed. Managing computer viruses . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992.

Hruska, Jan. Computer viruses and anti-virus warfare . New York: Ellis Horwood, 1990.

Gregory, Peter H. Computer Viruses For Dummies . New York: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 2004.

Book chapters on the topic "Computer viruses"

Hunter, John M. D. "Computer Viruses." In Computer Communications and Networks , 115–33. London: Springer London, 2001. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-0261-8_12.

Salomon, David. "Viruses." In Elements of Computer Security , 37–97. London: Springer London, 2010. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-0-85729-006-9_2.

Ball, Rafael. "Computer Viruses, Computer Worms, and the Self-Replication of Programs." In Viruses in all Dimensions , 73–85. Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden, 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-38826-3_4.

Marchette, David J. "Computer Viruses and Worms." In Computer Intrusion Detection and Network Monitoring , 215–40. New York, NY: Springer New York, 2001. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3458-4_6.

Slade, Robert. "Computer Viruses and Worms." In Handbook of Computer Networks , 440–53. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781118256107.ch28.

Slade, Robert. "Computer Operations and Viral Operations." In Guide to Computer Viruses , 91–130. New York, NY: Springer New York, 1996. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2384-9_4.

Ferbrache, David. "Theory of Viruses." In A Pathology of Computer Viruses , 31–54. London: Springer London, 1992. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-1774-2_3.

Ferbrache, David. "Apple Macintosh Viruses." In A Pathology of Computer Viruses , 153–66. London: Springer London, 1992. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-1774-2_6.

Belous, Anatoly, and Vitali Saladukha. "Computer Viruses, Malicious Logic, and Spyware." In Viruses, Hardware and Software Trojans , 101–207. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47218-4_2.

Slade, Robert. "Introduction: Definitions, Jargon, and Myths." In Guide to Computer Viruses , 3–28. New York, NY: Springer New York, 1996. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2384-9_1.

Reports on the topic "Computer viruses"

Wack, John P., and Lisa J. Carnahan. Computer viruses and related threats . Gaithersburg, MD: National Institute of Standards and Technology, 1989. http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/nist.sp.500-166.

Brown, D. R. An introduction to computer viruses . Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI), March 1992. http://dx.doi.org/10.2172/5608409.

Brown, D. R. An introduction to computer viruses . Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI), March 1992. http://dx.doi.org/10.2172/10133178.

Tinto, Mario. Computer Viruses: Prevention, Detection, and Treatment . Fort Belvoir, VA: Defense Technical Information Center, March 1990. http://dx.doi.org/10.21236/ada477537.

Kirsch, Robert A., and II. Viruses And Other Computer Pathogens: Should DoD Care? Fort Belvoir, VA: Defense Technical Information Center, April 1997. http://dx.doi.org/10.21236/ada326780.

Skormin, Victor, and Douglas Summerville. Recognition of Computer Viruses by Detecting Their Gene of Self Replication . Fort Belvoir, VA: Defense Technical Information Center, March 2006. http://dx.doi.org/10.21236/ada448622.

Orvis, W. J. Computer virus information update CIAC-2301 . Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI), January 1994. http://dx.doi.org/10.2172/10151004.

Murray, W. P. The Computer Virus: Infection, Removal, and Protection . Fort Belvoir, VA: Defense Technical Information Center, September 1993. http://dx.doi.org/10.21236/ada637045.

Rodriguez Muxica, Natalia. Open configuration options Bioinformatics for Researchers in Life Sciences: Tools and Learning Resources . Inter-American Development Bank, February 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0003982.

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