Everything about Computer Viruses and Data Theft

Everything about Computer Viruses and Data Theft

-Dr. Lalit Kumar Setia*

The computers are usually affected from Viruses and the motive behind spreading viruses in the network is to steal information. When a human being suffered from a disease, that disease affects the organism and produces disorders in human’s functions. The study of disease is called pathology which studies the cause of disease. Each disease has its symptoms including disorders in the life-style of affected person. A computer virus is a software program designed to perform malicious actions, self-replicate itself on other files available in the storage of computer. Like bio-logical virus which cannot reproduce without a host cell, the computer viruses also cannot reproduce and spread without programming such as a file or document.

A computer virus infiltrates the security mechanisms of computer system i.e. firewall, functioning of anti-virus and anti-malware; infects the host computer and performs the tasks programmed in its coding. The computer virus sits inside the computer in form of a code and attacks various processes of computer. The computer virus is mostly coded in the form of a program or script or macro and designed to cause damage either by stealing information or modifying data or sending e-mails. The file containing virus is whenever executed, it starts spreading itself by copying into and over data files. Even the boot-sectors are infected with the viruses. Some viruses start displaying messages to the users and some reduces the speed of computer, while some start erasing files in the background and even prompt to reformat the hard-drive.

How a computer virus is created?

The interesting point is how a computer virus is created? The computer virus is written in notepad with the help of various commands capable to disrupt the normal functions of a computer. Elk Cloner was the first computer virus written by Rich Skrenta in 1982. In the file, the commands can be written to delete the primary files of windows through which the computer’s operating system run. In case, there is anti-virus installed on the computer, that will restrict the file to be run but in case, there is no anti-virus, the program can easily make the computer affected badly. Such files can also be viral through email attachments.

However, once a virus such as ransomware entered into a computer or laptop or smartphone, it starts to hijeck the primary root directory from where the device works. It makes the commands non-functional and also restrict anti virus to work properly. It locks the computer by stopping aceess from keyboard and mouse. Then it encrypts the content of the storage devices with putting restrictions to open and view the contents. 

Recently, the wanna cry virus infected the computers around the world with demanding significant amount to pay within 72-hours in form of Bitcoins. In case, the amount was not paid, the demand was further increased. 

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*Copyright © 2017 Dr. Lalit Kumar.

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