Computer Viruses: What are They? Essay

Over the past few years, computer viruses has gotten a lot of press attention. According to Levin, There has been quite an outbreak over the last decade and number of viruses grow by the minute. (Levin 5) FExperts estimated that the Mydoom worm infected approximately a two hundred and fifty thousand workstations in January, 2004. Back in March 1999, the infamouse Melissa virus forced Microsoft and a number of very large companies to completely turn off their email systems. The ILOVEYOU virus in 2000 had a similarly devastating effect. Quite surprising, seeming that both the Melissa and the ILOVEYOU viruses are considered by professionals as incredibly simple. (HowStuffWorks) Unfortunately, a lot of material have been sensationalized, and garbled such as reports that every computer in Seattle has a virus. (Fites Johnston, Kratz 7) Many also mistakenly believe that computer viruses employ artificial intelligence or are electronic lifeforms. Another popular belief is that Viruses can operate even with the power turned off. Levin 5) In reality, computer viruses do not spread like the common cold. They are not intelligent; they do not hold personal grudges against you; and it is not very difficult to avoid most exposures. But there have been, and there are now, some pretty nasty viruses floating around people’s computers. (Fites, Johnston, Kratz 7-8) In a nutshell, computer Viruses are computer software programs, just as word processors, spreadsheets, database managers, and so on are also computer programs. This means that they are simply lists of instructions that tell computers what action to execute and precisely when to execute them. They are designed to operate in a manner diametrically opposed to virtually all legitimate software programs. (Levin 6-7) This basically means that they load and run without the user/victim’s request, and also without warning the user of possible devastating consequences to his computer. They hide inside programs called host programs and run when the hosts are run. They are designed to operate secretly so that their missions can be accomplished without, and not be compromised by, user input. (Levin 7) A virus is capable of many things some of which might corrupt, delete or even format your hard disk drive. The newer viruses use the email service to send copies of itself to all the contacts of the victim’s list. We assume a tripartite model of a virus structure; that is we assume up to three main component mechanisms. Infection refers to the way a virus spreads around. This is actually the only mechanism that is mandatory if the program is to be defined as viral; the two other mechanisms are both optional. Payload refers to what the virus does aside from replication. Lastly the trigger is the routine that decides whether now is the time to deliver the payload. Take note that we are viewing a simplified model of a virus, in some circumstances the dissemination of the viral program itself maybe described as the payload. If the virus is at all selective about the circumstance under which it will attempt to infect; then the infection also incorporates a trigger mechanism. (Harley, Slade, Gattiker 7) How then do these dreadful viruses spread around? A virus can only spread from one computer to another when its host is taken to the uninfected computer, for instance by a user sending it over a network or carrying it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, USB drive. Additionally, viruses can spread to other workstations by infecting files on a network or files that can be accessed by another user. (Wikipedia) With the advent of cheap broadband internet and e-mail connectivity, viruses these days also have found new ways to spread themselves with much more ease. Nowadays, viruses are most easily spread by attachments in e-mail messages or instant messaging messages. That is why it is essential that you never open e-mail attachments especially executables unless you are specifically expecting it. Viruses can be disguised as attachments of funny images, greeting cards, or audio and video files. Viruses also spread through downloads on the Internet. They can be hidden in downloadable software or other files or programs you might have access to. (Microsoft) Computer viruses on the media tend to grab our attention. On one hand, viruses show us how completely vulnerable we are. A properly engineered virus can have amazing and devastating effects on the Internet. On the other hand, they show how sophisticated and interconnected human beings have become. (HowStuffWorks) Bibliography â€Å"Computer Virus† Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia August 2007 Wikipedia August 28, 2007 Marshall Brain â€Å"How Computer Viruses Work† How Stuff Works How Stuff Works August 27, 2007 Urs Gattiker, David Harley, and Robert Slade Viruses Revealed New York: McGraw Hill 1990 Philip Fites, Peter Johnston, and Martin Kratz The Computer Virus Crisis New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold 1992. Richard B. Levin The Computer Virus Handbook New York: McGraw Hill 1990 â€Å"What is a Computer Virus? † Microsoft. com October 23,2006 Microsoft Inc. August 27, 2007