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This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 2 February 2025. Computer program that modifies other programs to replicate itself and spread Hex dump of the Brain virus, generally regarded as the first computer virus for the IBM Personal Computer (IBM PC) and compatibles A computer virus is a type of malware that, when executed, replicates itself by ...
Early computer viruses were written for the Apple II and Mac, but they became more widespread with the dominance of the IBM PC and MS-DOS. The first IBM PC virus in the wild was a boot sector virus dubbed (c)Brain, created in 1986 by the Farooq Alvi brothers in Pakistan. [14]
Cohen used the term "computer virus" to describe programs that: "affect other computer programs by modifying them in such a way as to include a (possibly evolved) copy of itself." [11] (note that a more recent definition of computer virus has been given by the Hungarian security researcher Péter Szőr: "a code that recursively replicates a ...
Computer fraud is the act of using a computer to take or alter electronic data, or to gain unlawful use of a computer or system. [10] Computer fraud that involves the use of the internet is also called internet fraud. The legal definition of computer fraud varies by jurisdiction, but typically involves accessing a computer without permission or ...
Computer viruses generally require a host program. [11] The virus writes its own code into the host program. When the program runs, the written virus program is executed first, causing infection and damage. A worm does not need a host program, as it is an independent program or code chunk.
A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Virus or The Virus may also refer to: Computer virus, a type of malicious computer program Mobile virus, a type of malicious cell phone program
To combat computer viruses and other malicious software, many security advisory organizations and anti-virus software developers compile and publish virus lists. When a new virus appears, the rush begins to identify and understand it as well as develop appropriate counter-measures to stop its propagation.
An example of a macro virus is the Melissa virus which appeared in March 1999. When a user opens a Microsoft Word document containing the Melissa virus, their computer becomes infected. The virus then sends itself by email to the first 50 people in the person's address book. This made the virus replicate at a fast rate. [4]