What antivirus software to use
There are many types of antivirus software to use, but the two most popular are McAfee and Norton. Both have been around for years and are trusted by many people. However, they both have their pros and cons.
McAfee is known for being very user-friendly and having a good customer service department. It is also one of the less expensive antivirus programs. Norton, on the other hand, is not as user-friendly, but it is considered to be more reliable and offer better protection. It is also more expensive.
So, which one should you choose? It really depends on your needs. If you are looking for an antivirus program that is easy to use and doesn’t cost a lot, then McAfee is a good choice. If you are looking for an antivirus program that is more reliable and offers better protection, then Norton is a better choice..Click here for more
The biggest computer virus outbreaks
The 10 Biggest Computer Virus Outbreaks
Computers have come a long way since their inception in the early 1800s. Today, they play a vital role in our everyday lives, from helping us stay connected with loved ones to managing our finances and work tasks. Given their importance, it’s no wonder that viruses and other malware are constantly being created in an attempt to exploit them.
Over the years, there have been some monumental virus outbreaks that have caused widespread panic and disruption. Here are 10 of the biggest computer virus outbreaks in history.
1. The Morris Worm
The Morris Worm is widely considered to be the first major computer virus outbreak. It was created by a student at Cornell University in 1988 and targeted Unix-based systems. The virus was designed to replicate itself and quickly spread across the internet, infecting an estimated 6,000 computers.
While the Morris Worm did not cause any damage to infected computers, it did bog them down with increased traffic, making them unusable. The incident resulted in an estimated $10 million in damages and led to the creation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
2. The Michelangelo Virus
The Michelangelo virus was first discovered in 1992 and was named after the famous artist because it was set to activate on his birthday, March 6. The virus infected both boot sectors and executable files, and if a computer was infected, it would display a message saying, “Your computer is now Stoned.”
While the Michelangelo virus did not cause any lasting damage, it did infect an estimated 5 million computers worldwide, making it one of the most widespread virus outbreaks in history.
3. The CIH Virus
The CIH virus, also known as the Chernobyl Virus, was first discovered in 1998. The virus was designed to infect Windows 95 and 98 systems and was extremely destructive, overwriting the first 1,024 bytes of any file it infected.
The CIH virus was particularly dangerous because it could infect the BIOS of a computer, making it impossible to boot up. It is estimated that the CIH virus caused over $1 billion in damages and infected over 60 million computers worldwide.
4. The ILOVEYOU Virus
The ILOVEYOU virus was first discovered in 2000 and quickly spread around the world, infecting an estimated 10 million computers. The virus was spread via email and appeared to come from a loved one, with the subject line reading “I love you.”
Once opened, the email would unleash the virus, which would send itself to everyone in the victim’s address book. The ILOVEYOU virus caused an estimated $10 billion in damages and led to the arrest of its creator, a Filipino man named Onel De Guzman.
5. The Sircam Virus
The Sircam virus was first discovered in 2001 and quickly spread around the world, infecting an estimated 2.3 million computers. The virus was spread via email and appeared to come from a known individual or organization, with the subject line reading “Here is that file you asked for… ”
Once opened, the email would unleash the virus, which would send itself to everyone in the victim’s address book. The Sircam virus caused an estimated $9 billion in damages and led to the arrest of its creator, a Spanish man named Paco Tejada.
6. The Code Red Virus
The Code Red virus was first discovered in 2001 and quickly spread around the world, infecting an estimated 359,000 computers. The virus was spread via the internet and targeted systems running Microsoft’s IIS web server software.
Once a system was infected, the Code Red virus would deface any web page accessed from that system. The Code Red virus caused an estimated $2.6 billion in damages and led to the patching of the IIS software flaw that it exploited.
7. The Slammer Virus
The Slammer virus was first discovered in 2003 and quickly spread around the world, infecting an estimated 75,000 computers. The virus was spread via the internet and targeted systems running Microsoft’s SQL Server software.
Once a system was infected, the Slammer virus caused the SQL Server software to consume all available bandwidth, making the system unusable. The Slammer virus caused an estimated $1.2 billion in damages and led to the patching of the SQL Server software flaw that it exploited.
8. The Sobig Virus
The Sobig virus was first discovered in 2003 and quickly spread around the world, infecting an estimated 6 million computers. The virus was spread via email and appeared to come from a known individual or organization, with the subject line reading “Re: details.”
Once opened, the email would unleash the virus, which would send itself to everyone in the victim’s address book. The Sobig virus caused an estimated $37 million in damages and led to the arrest of its creator, a Canadian man named Alan Ralsky.
9. The MyDoom Virus
The MyDoom virus was first discovered in 2004 and quickly spread around the world, infecting an estimated 1 million computers. The virus was spread via email and appeared to come from a known individual or organization, with the subject line reading “Your details.”
Once opened, the email would unleash the virus, which would send itself to everyone in the victim’s address book. The MyDoom virus caused an estimated $38 billion in damages and led to the arrest of its creator, a Russian man named Dmitry Sklyarov.
10. The WannaCry Virus
The WannaCry virus was first discovered in 2017 and quickly spread around the world, infecting an estimated 200,000 computers. The virus was spread via the internet and targeted systems running Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
Once a system was infected, the WannaCry virus would encrypt all of the files on the system, making them unusable. The WannaCry virus caused an estimated $4 billion in damages and led to the patching of the Windows flaw that it exploited.
These 10 virus outbreaks show just how destructive malware can be. While some viruses are designed to simply cause annoyance, others can cause billions of dollars in damages. As we become more reliant on computers, it’s important to be aware of the dangers they pose and take steps to protect ourselves.
Visit malwarezero.org to learn more about computer viruses. Disclaimer: We used this website as a reference for this blog post.