Introduction to The Computer Virus
A computer virus is simply a program that spreads by making copies of itself. It also requires a host - just like a cold virus requires a person to infect, viruses need a host computer to spread. When encountering the frustration of a virus infection, most people wonder why anyone would create such a thing.
The online encyclopedia “Wikipedia” says this about the origin of computer viruses:
The one good thing about viruses is that releasing them is a crime in most jurisdictions. In 2002, the creator of the “Melissa” virus was sentenced to 20 months in prison and received a $5,000 fine for his virus which did over $80 million in damage. Typical sentences are less than 2 years in prison. virus writers are also not limited to antisocial teenagers either. There is no typical age for the virus writer, known virus writers come from all age groups as well as both sexes.
The best way to prevent viruses is to practice safe computing, have a good antivirus program and keep up your antivirus subscription. These are files that describe to your antivirus program what the latest threats are, so that it can identify and neutralize them. Often home users will go out and buy an entirely new antivirus program for $75 when their one year subscription runs out, not realizing that they can save money and simply buy another year for less than half that cost. The new subscription uses the same antivirus signatures as the latest storebought copy.
Many people ask what the best antivirus programs are, and there are many good ones. Most people are aware of a few of the popular antivirus packages like Norton/Symantec, McAfee, or AVG. Although these may be good for home users, corporations have more requirements and there are a lot of enterprise products that we sell that we can tailor to your requirements. For companies, there are other considerations that fall into the realm of a corporate defense strategy that can include such things as antispam, web and email content filtering, multiple server environments and clear employee policies. Not everyone runs Microsoft Windows and for the enterprise, securing Unix or Linux servers is just as important.
In future articles we will learn more about what makes an antivirus program "good", and what resources exist that can help you decide which one you should use.
The online encyclopedia “Wikipedia” says this about the origin of computer viruses:
Virus writers can have various reasons for creating and spreading malware. Viruses have been written as research projects, pranks, vandalism, to attack the products of specific companies, and to distribute political messages. Some people think that the majority of viruses are created with malicious intent. On the other hand, some virus writers consider their creations to be works of art, and see virus writing as a creative hobby. Additionally, many virus writers oppose deliberately destructive payload routines. Some viruses were intended as "good viruses". They spread improvements to the programs they infect, or delete other viruses. These viruses are, however, quite rare, still consume system resources, and may accidentally damage systems they infect.
The one good thing about viruses is that releasing them is a crime in most jurisdictions. In 2002, the creator of the “Melissa” virus was sentenced to 20 months in prison and received a $5,000 fine for his virus which did over $80 million in damage. Typical sentences are less than 2 years in prison. virus writers are also not limited to antisocial teenagers either. There is no typical age for the virus writer, known virus writers come from all age groups as well as both sexes.
The best way to prevent viruses is to practice safe computing, have a good antivirus program and keep up your antivirus subscription. These are files that describe to your antivirus program what the latest threats are, so that it can identify and neutralize them. Often home users will go out and buy an entirely new antivirus program for $75 when their one year subscription runs out, not realizing that they can save money and simply buy another year for less than half that cost. The new subscription uses the same antivirus signatures as the latest storebought copy.
Many people ask what the best antivirus programs are, and there are many good ones. Most people are aware of a few of the popular antivirus packages like Norton/Symantec, McAfee, or AVG. Although these may be good for home users, corporations have more requirements and there are a lot of enterprise products that we sell that we can tailor to your requirements. For companies, there are other considerations that fall into the realm of a corporate defense strategy that can include such things as antispam, web and email content filtering, multiple server environments and clear employee policies. Not everyone runs Microsoft Windows and for the enterprise, securing Unix or Linux servers is just as important.
In future articles we will learn more about what makes an antivirus program "good", and what resources exist that can help you decide which one you should use.
posted by Peter at
2:50 PM
