Computer Viruses

Some of the main reasons for writing viruses are;

• Hacking.
• To prevent copying software.
• Revenge - Employees may plant "Time Bombs" in programs.
• Fraud - Viruses may allow access to an otherwise secure system.
• Political and terrorist motives.
• Commercial sabotage - Damage the reputation of a competitor.
• Warfare - Incorporate a virus to an enemy's computer.

Viruses can be transmitted from one system to another through various media types such as;

• Floppy disks.
• Tape backups.
• Internet.
• Software.

Some of the symptoms that a computer will show up when infected with a virus are listed below.

• Programs take long time to lead than normal.
• The floppy disk drive or hard drive runs when you are not using it.
• New files keep appearing on the system and you do not know where they come from.
• Strange sound or beeping noises come from the computer or keyboard.
• Strange graphics are displayed on your computer monitor.
• Files have strange names you do not recognize.
• Unable to access the hard drive when booting from the floppy drive.
• Program sizes keep changing.
• Conventional memory is less than it used to be and you cannot explain it.

Posted in: Computer Viruses