10 of the world’s most dangerous computer viruses
In the history of computing there have been a number of viruses that have caused significant damage to both hardware and software. Here are ten of the most dangerous viruses that have ever been released:
1. The Morris Worm
The Morris worm is widely considered to be the first computer worm in history. It was released in 1988 by Robert T. Morris and quickly spread across the internet, infecting thousands of computers. The worm did not cause any damage to the infected computers, but did tie up a lot of resources, slowing down the affected systems.
2. The Michelangelo Virus
The Michelangelo virus was released in 1992 and quickly became one of the most feared viruses in history. It was so dangerous because it was programmed to activate on a specific date (March 6th, the artist Michelangelo’s birthday) and would encrypt the hard drives of infected computers, rendering them unusable. Thankfully, very few computers were actually infected by the virus.
3. The CIH Virus
The CIH virus, also known as the Chernobyl virus, was released in 1998 and caused physical damage to computers. It was programmed to overwrite the BIOS of infected computers, which would render the machines unusable. Thousands of computers were damaged by the virus, with some estimates suggesting that over one million computers were infected.
4. The Love Bug Virus
The Love Bug virus was released in 2000 and quickly spread around the world, infecting millions of computers. The virus was spread via email, with users receiving an email containing the virus which would then infect their computer when opened. The Love Bug virus caused significant damage, with estimates suggesting that it caused over $10 billion in damages.
5. The Sasser Worm
The Sasser worm was released in 2004 and quickly spread across the internet, infecting millions of computers. The worm exploits a flaw in the Windows operating system and allows remote access to the infected computers. Once infected, the worm would launch a denial of service attack against a particular website. The Sasser worm caused significant damage and resulted in a number of companies having to shut down their systems in order to contain the infection.
6. The Mydoom Virus
The Mydoom virus was released in 2004 and quickly became the fastest spreading email virus in history. The virus was spread via email, with users receiving an email containing the virus which would then infect their computer when opened. The Mydoom virus caused significant damage, with estimates suggesting that it caused over $10 billion in damages.
7. The Zotob Worm
The Zotob worm was released in 2005 and quickly spread across the internet, infecting thousands of computers. The worm exploits a flaw in the Windows operating system and allows remote access to the infected computers. Once infected, the worm would disable the security software on the computer and then allow the computer to be controlled remotely. The Zotob worm caused significant damage and resulted in a number of companies having to shut down their systems in order to contain the infection.
8. The Conficker Worm
The Conficker worm was released in 2008 and quickly spread across the internet, infecting millions of computers. The worm exploits a flaw in the Windows operating system and allows remote access to the infected computers. Once infected, the worm would disable the security software on the computer and then allow the computer to be controlled remotely. The Conficker worm caused significant damage and resulted in a number of companies having to shut down their systems in order to contain the infection.
9. The Stuxnet Worm
The Stuxnet worm was released in 2010 and quickly spread across the internet, infecting thousands of computers. The worm was specifically designed to target industrial control systems and was used to sabotage the nuclear facility in Iran. The Stuxnet worm caused significant damage and was a wake-up call for the need to improve the security of industrial control systems.
10. The WannaCry Ransomware
The WannaCry ransomware was released in 2017 and quickly spread across the internet, infecting millions of computers. The ransomware encrypts the files on the infected computer and then demands a ransom be paid in order to decrypt the files. The WannaCry ransomware caused significant damage, with estimates suggesting that it caused over $4 billion in damages.More information
10 Most destructive computer viruses of all time
A computer virus is a malicious software program that can infect a computer and cause serious damage. There are many different types of computer viruses, and new viruses are created all the time. Some viruses are harmless and simply cause annoying pop-up messages, while others can delete all the files on your hard drive or even spread to other computers.
The following is a list of the 10 most destructive computer viruses of all time.
1. Melissa Virus
Named after a topless dancer in Florida, the Melissa virus was first discovered in 1999. It quickly spread around the world, infecting more than 1 million computers in just a few days. The virus was spread via email, with users receiving a message that appeared to be from a friend or colleague. When the message was opened, the virus would automatically forward itself to all the contacts in the user’s address book.
The Melissa virus caused serious damage, with companies losing millions of dollars in productivity. It also led to the development of more sophisticated antivirus software.
2. ILOVEYOU Virus
The ILOVEYOU virus, also known as the Love Bug, was first discovered in 2000. Like the Melissa virus, it was spread via email. However, the ILOVEYOU virus was much more destructive, causing an estimated $10 billion in damage.
The virus would arrive in an email with the subject line “I love you” and the message “here is a love letter for you.” When opened, the virus would send itself to all the contacts in the user’s address book and overwrite important files on the hard drive.
3. Code Red Virus
The Code Red virus was first discovered in 2001. It affected web servers running Microsoft’s IIS web server software. The virus would overwrite key files on the server, making it unusable.
The Code Red virus caused widespread damage, with an estimated 1 million computers being infected. It also led to the development of more secure web server software.
4. Sasser Virus
The Sasser virus was first discovered in 2004. It was a worm, meaning it could spread itself without any user interaction. The virus would infect a computer and then try to spread to other computers on the same network.
The Sasser virus caused widespread damage, with an estimated 1 million computers being infected. It also led to the development of more secure networking software.
5. Mydoom Virus
The Mydoom virus was first discovered in 2004. It was spread via email, with users receiving a message that appeared to be from a friend or colleague. When the message was opened, the virus would install a backdoor on the computer, allowing the attacker to take control of the machine.
The Mydoom virus caused serious damage, with an estimated $10 billion in damage. It also led to the development of more sophisticated email filtering software.
6. Storm Worm
The Storm worm was first discovered in 2007. It was spread via email, with users receiving a message that appeared to be from a friend or colleague. When the message was opened, the virus would install a backdoor on the computer, allowing the attacker to take control of the machine.
The Storm worm caused serious damage, with an estimated $10 billion in damage. It also led to the development of more sophisticated email filtering software.
7. Conficker Virus
The Conficker virus was first discovered in 2008. It was a worm, meaning it could spread itself without any user interaction. The virus would infect a computer and then try to spread to other computers on the same network.
The Conficker virus caused serious damage, with an estimated 10 million computers being infected. It also led to the development of more secure networking software.
8. Stuxnet Virus
The Stuxnet virus was first discovered in 2010. It was a sophisticated piece of malware specifically designed to attack industrial control systems. The virus was responsible for damaging nuclear centrifuges in Iran.
The Stuxnet virus caused serious damage, with an estimated $10 billion in damage. It also led to the development of more secure industrial control systems.
9. WannaCry Ransomware
The WannaCry ransomware was first discovered in 2017. It was a piece of malware that encrypted files on infected computers and demanded a ransom be paid in order to decrypt them.
The WannaCry ransomware caused serious damage, with an estimated 200,000 computers being infected. It also led to the development of more secure computer systems.
10. NotPetya Ransomware
The NotPetya ransomware was first discovered in 2017. It was a piece of malware that encrypted files on infected computers and demanded a ransom be paid in order to decrypt them.
The NotPetya ransomware caused serious damage, with an estimated $10 billion in damage. It also led to the development of more secure computer systems.
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