Source:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/virus.htm
Computer viruses tend to grab our attention. On the one hand, viruses show us how vulnerable we are. A properly engineered virus can have an amazing effect on the worldwide Internet. On the other hand, they show how sophisticated and interconnected human beings have become.
For example, experts estimate that the Mydoom worm infected approximately a quarter-million computers in a single day in January 2004. (Times Online). Back in March 1999, the Melissa virus was so powerful that it forced Microsoft and a number of other very large companies to completely turn off their e-mail systems until the virus could be contained. The ILOVEYOU virus in 2000 had a similarly devastating effect. That's pretty impressive when you consider that the Melissa and ILOVEYOU viruses are incredibly simple.
In this article, we will discuss viruses -- both "traditional" viruses and the newer e-mail viruses -- so that you can learn how they work and also understand how to protect yourself. Viruses in general are on the wane, but occasionally a person finds a new way to create one, and that's when they make the news.
What's a "Virus"?
Computer viruses are called viruses because they share some of the traits of biological viruses. A computer virus passes from computer to computer like a biological virus passes from person to person.
There are similarities at a deeper level, as well. A biological virus is not a living thing. A virus is a fragment of DNA inside a protective jacket. Unlike a cell, a virus has no way to do anything or to reproduce by itself -- it is not alive. Instead, a biological virus must inject its DNA into a cell. The viral DNA then uses the cell's existing machinery to reproduce itself. In some cases, the cell fills with new viral particles until it bursts, releasing the virus. In other cases, the new virus particles bud off the cell one at a time, and the cell remains alive.
A computer virus shares some of these traits. A computer virus must piggyback on top of some other program or document in order to get executed. Once it is running, it is then able to infect other programs or documents. Obviously, the analogy between computer and biological viruses stretches things a bit, but there are enough similarities that the name sticks.
Types of Infection
When you listen to the news, you hear about many different forms of electronic infection. The most common are:
* Viruses - A virus is a small piece of software that piggybacks on real programs. For example, a virus might attach itself to a program such as a spreadsheet program. Each time the spreadsheet program runs, the virus runs, too, and it has the chance to reproduce (by attaching to other programs) or wreak havoc.
* E-mail viruses - An e-mail virus moves around in e-mail messages, and usually replicates itself by automatically mailing itself to dozens of people in the victim's e-mail address book.
* Worms - A worm is a small piece of software that uses computer networks and security holes to replicate itself. A copy of the worm scans the network for another machine that has a specific security hole. It copies itself to the new machine using the security hole, and then starts replicating from there, as well.
* Trojan horses - A Trojan horse is simply a computer program. The program claims to do one thing (it may claim to be a game) but instead does damage when you run it (it may erase your hard disk). Trojan horses have no way to replicate automatically.
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Lists of Viruses List of computer viruses (A-D) List of computer viruses (E-K) List of computer viruses (L-R) List of computer viruses (S-Z)
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List of computer virus hoaxes
* 3b Trojan
* AIDS
* Antichrist
* AOL4Free Virus
* AOL and Intel
* AOL.EXE
* AOL Flashing IM
* AOL RIOT 2 Virus
* AOL Year 2000 Update
* Awareness Virus
* Baby New Year Virus
* Bad Times
* Be My Valentine
* Be Spooked
* BestBuy Order Fraud Alert
* Bicho7
* Big Brother
* Blue Mountain Virus
* Blueballs Are Underrated Virus
* BUDDYLST.ZIP
* BUDSAVER.EXE
* Budweiser
* BUGGLST
* California IBM
* California Virus
* CELLSAVER Virus
* CLEANMGR.EXE Warning
* Coke.exe
* D@Fit
* Dana
* Dear Friends
* Death69
* Deeyenda
* Desi1love
* Despite Virus
* Discount Virus
* DR.SIMON.WAJNTRAUBWS
* E-Flu
* eBook
* Economic Slow Down
* Elecciones 2000
* EVIL THE CAT Virus
* Family Pictures
* FatCat Virus
* February 1
* Flashmaster G
* Flower for You
* Foot N Mouth Virus Warning
* Forward
* FREE M & M's
* Free Money
* Free Pizza Virus
* FROGAPULT, ELFBOWL, Y2KGAME Virus
* Gamma2.exe
* GAP Email Tracking
* Get More Money
* Ghost
* Gift from Microsoft
* Girl Thing
* Go Hip
* Goldbear Virus
* Goodtimes
* Google Trojan Hoax
* Got You
* Guts to Say Jesus
* Hacky Birthday Virus
* Halloween Virus
* Happy New Year Virus
* Hello Dear
* Hairy Palms Virus
* Help Poor Dog
* Hitler
* How to Give a Cat a Colonic
* INFILTER
* Information on SARC 'Virus Test'
* Iraq War
* Irina
* Irish Virus
* Irus Virus
* Jan1st20.exe Virus
* Jdbgmgr.exe file
* John Kennedy Jr Trojan
* Join the Crew
* Kleneu66
* Launch Nuclear Strike Now
* Let's Watch TV
* Life is Beautiful
* Londhouse Virus
* Lotus Notes Worm
* Lump of Coal Virus
* Macdonald's Screensaver
* Matrix Virus
* Microsoft Virus
* Millennium Time Bomb
* MobilVirus
* MOBILE PHONE
* MSN Messenger add a Contact
* MusicPanel
* NASTYFRIEND99
* The New Ice Age
* NEWYORK BIG DIRT
* Norman Virus
* Norton anti - virus v5
* Osama vs Bush
* Outback Steakhouse
* Pandemic
* Penpal Greetings
* Perrin.exe Virus
* Phantom Menace Virus
* Pikachus Ball
* Playboy Girls
* Pluperfect
* Pluto's Kiss
* Postal Service Email Charge
* Red Alert
* Sandman
* Sarc Virus Test
* Scoutshacker
* Simon Pugh
* Slavemaster
* South Park News Letter
* SULFNBK.EXE Warning
* Symantec ASDL Virus
* Teletubbies
* The UNIX Virus
* Time Bomb
* Tuxissa
* Upgrade Internet 2
* Very Cool
* Virtual Card for You Virus
* Virtual Card Virus
* Virus Business
* W2 Sync Virus
* W32-PrPlCrcl-G
* W32.MFG.Tassos@mm
* W32.XPExp.Worm
* Wait 48 Hours
* Watching
* WAZ UP
* Welcome to the Matrix
* Win a Holiday
* Windows will Fail on Jan 1
* Wobbler Virus
* Wooden Horse
* WordScribe Virus
* Work Virus
* World Domination
* WTC Survivor
* Y2K Virus
* Yellow Teletubbies
* Zlatko
* ZZ331 Virus
source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...r_virus_hoaxes
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List of computer worms
Badtrans
Bagle
Blaster
Code Red
Code Red II
Dabber
Doomjuice
Hybris
Hydra
ILOVEYOU
Klez
Mabutu
Melissa
Morris
Mydoom
Netsky
Nimda
Sadmind
Sasser
Sircam
Sober
Sobig
SQL slammer
Upering
W32/Bolgimo.worm
Welchia
Witty
Zotob
source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_computer_worms
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