View
214
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
7/25/2019 What is a Computer Virus and How Do They Work
1/4
Anatomy of a Virus
Though most computer users have learned to fear viruses, few really know what they are. Viruses are
programs that replicate themselves inside a computer. The malicious bug cannot do its damage when a
user simply surfs the Web or opens a plain text message such as an e-mail. owever, viruses are
unleashed when they are hidden in attachments to e-mail messages and someone opens that
attachment. After viruses replicate, many carry out damaging instructions that have been programmed
into them.
!"ome viruses do nothing except replicate,! #eters said. !"ome will do damage, but not intentionally.
Then again, there are those that attempt - and sometimes succeed - in destroying all files on the
computer, or subtly altering data in documents, or whatever nasty thing you can conceive that a computer
program is capable of doing.!
To make matters worse, those who create viruses continually add new twists to their method of attack.
$ate in %une, the "tages virus struck. &efore "tages, computer users were assured that viruses could not
be spread through text f iles. "o, when 'icrosoft (utlook users saw an attachment that appeared as
!$)*+"TA+".TT,! many figured it was safe to open. When they did so, a humorous test file about
dating appeared.
What users didn/t reali0e was that the attachment was not a text file but had a hidden ."" extension,
which meant it contained infected computer code. "oon, the virus was on the loose and e-mailing itself to
everyone in the recipient/s address book.
#eters hopes the recent wave of high-profile viruses will cause lawmakers to treat the problem as the
potentially serious crime that it is. owever, he said the war on this scourge re1uires vigilance.
!2es, we/ll become more successful overall,! he said. !&ut yes, things will get worse, too3 my prediction is
that while more viruses will be prevented on a percentage basis, there will always be a few high profile
successes by the virus writers.
!Those successes, however, will be short-lived, because anti-virus companies will be 1uick to create a
solution to each new threat.!
Payloadin computing4sometimes referred to as the actual or body data5 is the cargo of a data
transmission. )t is the part of the transmitteddatawhich is the fundamental purpose of the
transmission. #ayload does not include information sent with it such asheadersor metadata,
sometimes referred to as overhead data, sent solely to facilitate payload delivery.678698
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_transmissionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_transmissionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_(computing)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_(computing)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Header_(computing)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Header_(computing)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metadatahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payload_(computing)#cite_note-pcmag-1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payload_(computing)#cite_note-techterms-2https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_transmissionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_transmissionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_(computing)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Header_(computing)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metadatahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payload_(computing)#cite_note-pcmag-1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payload_(computing)#cite_note-techterms-2https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computing7/25/2019 What is a Computer Virus and How Do They Work
2/4
)n computer security, payload refers to the part of malwarewhich performs a malicious action. 6:8)n
the analysis of malicious software such as worms, viruses and Tro;ans, it refers to the software/s
harmful results. +xamples of payloads include data destruction, messages with insulting text or
spurious e-mail messages sent to a large number of people.
)n summary, payload refers to the actual intended message in a transmission
A replicator is a program or algorithmthat replicates itself over a computer network
and usually performs malicious actions, such as using up the computer's resources
and possibly shutting the system down.
A replicator is an object or organism that can make copies of itself. Examplesabound in the biological world; cells are a common example. owever,replicators can also be developed in the electromechanical !or mechatronic"realm. #his is of interest to researchers innanotechnologyand robotics.
$eplicators can exist in either of two forms, known as %rst&sense and second&sense. A %rst&sense replicator makes an exact duplicate of itself, including
any changes that have occurred in its structure after it was created. Asecond&sense replicator makes a duplicate of itself as it existed whencreated. n biology, genes are %rst&sense replicators, while cells in generalare second&sense replicators. (irst&sense replication is of particular interest,because it allows for the possibility of machine evolution.
A macroscale replicator, also called a clanking replicator, is a robot that canbuild a copy of itself using conventional materials and parts. magine a robot&building factory in which all the workers are robots that build other robots)#here might be several di*erent types !species" of robot, each designed for aparticular task. Even the factory could, given the right programming of the
robots as a team, be duplicated. +cience %ction authors have exploited thistheme by describing how a small team of robots could be sent to a planet tocolonie it. #he end result would be a planet with hundreds of robot factories,operated by robot&building robots.
A nanoscale replicator, also called an assembler, is a microscopic, self&duplicating machine with dimensions on the order of billionths of a meter
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_securityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malwarehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payload_(computing)#cite_note-securityfocus-3https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payload_(computing)#cite_note-securityfocus-3http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/algorithm.htmlhttp://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/nanotechnology-molecular-manufacturinghttp://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/roboticshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_securityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malwarehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payload_(computing)#cite_note-securityfocus-3http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/algorithm.htmlhttp://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/nanotechnology-molecular-manufacturinghttp://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/robotics7/25/2019 What is a Computer Virus and How Do They Work
3/4
! nanometers". $eplicators of this type could be programmed to function asantibodies or anti&viral agents designed to attack and destroy speci%cdisease&causing organisms inside the human body. #he number ofduplications could be controlled by programming, so when all the disease&causing agents were eliminated, the replication process would cease.
$esearch and development e*orts involving machines such as this are partof the %eld of biomechatronics.
http://searchcio-midmarket.techtarget.com/definition/nanometerhttp://searchcio-midmarket.techtarget.com/definition/nanometer7/25/2019 What is a Computer Virus and How Do They Work
4/4
The 'elissa virus from 'arch 7? names in the recipients address book.
Recommended