One of my English professors once said, "I think there is a separate hell for those who spend their time creating computer viruses". At first, it just made me laugh. But then I thought about it and came to the conclusion that those people are brilliant, but should try to channel their skill in other ways-rather than wreaking havoc on our computer systems. So, in light of that, here are some of the worst viruses in the history of computers, according MSNBC.
• Elk Cloner, 1982: This is known as the first virus to spread through personal computer across the world. Even though it was designed as a practical joke, it led the way to more vicious viruses. Rich Skrenta (then a freshman in high school) is credited for this first virus. The "Elk Cloner" was spread through the use of Apple II floppy disks. A poem would appear on the poem that Skrenta wrote himself.
• Brian, 1986: Two brothers from Pakistan, who just happened to own a computer repair shop, created the "Brian" virus. The virus hit computers with a Microsoft Corp operating system. After the virus infected the computer, the phone number to their computer repair shop would pop up. Clever...but still evil.
• Morris, 1988: Even though this wasn't the first virus, it was the first one to be so widespread. A Cornell University grad student wrote this virus. And it just so happens that his father was a top government computer-security expert. Overall, the "Morris" virus infected over 6,000 military and university computers that were connected to the internet.
• Love Bug, 2000: This email attachment virus was disguised as a love letter, so that more people would open it. It worked like a charm.
• Code Red, 2001: Because of a flaw in some Microsoft software, the "Code Red" virus was one of the first "network worms". Because it only required a network connection rather than someone actually opening up an attachment, it spread exponentially.
• Blaster, 2003: Just like the "Code Red", the "Blaster" virus was possible because of another Microsoft flaw. It was such a huge issue that Microsoft began offering cash rewards for those who could help find the virus writers.
• Sasser, 2004: And just like the previous two viruses, the "Sasser" virus was possible because of a Microsoft flaw. This virus caused computers to crash and reboot continually.
So, in order to protect yourself from computer viruses-because we all know that people have nothing better to do than create new and more vicious viruses-consider the following:
• Don't open any attachments from people that you do not know well.
• If you notice that your computer may be acting a little different, run some antivirus software. But keep in mind that some viruses can still get by.
• Make sure to update your antivirus at least once a month. If you don't, it doesn't do any good because new viruses are discovered each day. Your antivirus needs to stay updated.
• Be wary of what you download from online. If you don't trust the website, don't download the file...it is as simple as that.
• Consider some data backup program. By saving all your important information and files outside of your computer, you can rest assured that it will be there in case a virus does infect your computer.
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