Sophos antivirus firm provides concise summaries of various types of viruses, including Love Letter – the fastest-moving virus in history – that appeared in May 2000 and caused many corporations to shut down their email services. Additionally, the CIH virus, also known as Chernobyl, activates on the anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe and was created by Taiwanese student Chen Ing-Hau. Find more virus explanations on Sophos’ website.
FAQs about Computer Viruses
What are viruses?
Viruses are malicious software programs that infect your computer, causing damage to your files, software, and even hardware. These programs can spread through emails, downloads, or even by browsing malicious websites.
What types of viruses are there?
There are several types of viruses, such as:
- Trojan Horses
- Worms
- Adware
- Spyware
- Ransomware
- Rootkits
What harm can viruses cause?
Viruses can cause a variety of harm, such as:
- Stealing personal and financial information
- Deleting important files
- Slowing down your computer
- Spamming contacts in your email account
- Taking over your computer system
What are some infamous viruses and what did they do?
Love Letter
In 2000, a resident of Manila in the Philippines created the fastest-moving virus in history. The virus was spread via email with the subject line “I LOVE YOU.” It reproduced itself to every person in the user’s Outlook contact book before erasing any local data. This led many corporations to shut down their email services.
CIH (a.k.a. Chernobyl)
Created by Taiwanese student Chen Ing-Hau, this virus causes damage to your computer on the anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe. It infects executable files, replacing them with a payload that can erase a hard drive’s contents and even flash the BIOS.
Consequently
Viruses can cause significant damage to your computer system and personal data if you do not take precautions to protect yourself. Ensure that you have reputable antivirus software installed on your computer, avoid opening emails and attachments from unknown senders, and be cautious when downloading from the internet.
Additionally, always keep your software and operating system up to date with the latest security patches and updates. Stay vigilant, and you can prevent many viruses from causing harm to your computer and data.
