Malicious code is the term used to describe any code in any part of a software system or script that is intended to cause undesired effects, security breaches or damage to a computer or system without the owner’s knowledge or consent. There are much exploitation of vulnerabilities, like viruses, worms, Trojan horses, several, Edward, and roots. Malicious code describes a broad category of system security terms that includes attack scripts, viruses, worms, Trojan horses, backdoor, and malicious active content. Malicious code is an application security wreath that cannot be efficiently controlled by conventional antivirus software alone.
Malicious code can either activate itself or activate after a user perform an action, such as clicking on something or opening an email attachment. The most recent cybernetics were laid against the Canadian government by Chinese hackers, who penetrated the computer systems of two key agencies, the Finance Department and the Treasury Board, forcing them offline. With advances in network collaboration tools, from email disappoint 2010, there is incredible potential for sharing and collaborating ideas and information. Unfortunately, mallard can spread just as easily.
As computers have evolved, so have the attacks against them. But before the Internet became so widely accessible, viruses spread mainly through floppy disks and other removable media. The following article will explore some of the most notorious email hacks and viruses from the past, to the present.
Worm year: 1971
Users affected: DECK PDP-II computers running the TENET operating system.
Infection and spread: Using the Tenet operating system and ARPANET, a self- replicating virus spread between DECK PDP 10 systems displaying the message, I’M THE CREEPER CATCH ME IF YOU CAN”.
Hacker Motivation: (Experiment) Not intended to be malicious, the virus was designed by BIN Technologies engineer Bob Thomas to explain how a virus could infiltrate, and be replicated throughout a localized computer network. Damage caused: (Minor) Some sources claim the Creeper replicated so many times, that it crowded out other programs, but the extent of the damage is unspecified. Aftermath: The “Reaper” was created to fight the Creeper. It was the first piece of anti-virus software, also a self-replicating aerogram that spread through the system, removing the offending virus from infected computers.
ELK CLOSER Type : Boot sector Year: 1982 Users affected: Apple DOS 3. 3 computers Infection and spread: Spread “in the wild” via floppy disk. Once an infected disk was booted, the virus loaded into the memory and infected the boot sector. Elk Closer would be copied to the disk, allowing it to spread from disk to disk.
Hacker Motivation: (Practical joke) Authored by Rich Serenest, a ninth-grade student who wanted to play a joke on his schoolmates. An infected computer would display he short poem displayed above on every 50th boot.
Damage caused: (Minor) Infected all the computers used by Serenest and his friends, even some used by the staff at his school. Aftermath: Serenest wrote countless other computer programs and also started the online news business Topic. But, he is still remembered most for unleashing the “Elk Closer” virus on the world. OLIVETTI a. K. A. THE LOVE BUG Year: 2000
Users affected: Computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system Infection and spread: The worm appeared in email inbox, posing as a contact, tit the message “LOUVER” in the subject line.
Once the attachment was opened, the worm sent a copy of itself to everyone in the person’s Windows Address Book. It also made a number of malicious changes to the user’s system.
Hacker Motivation: (Revenge) Two young Filipino computer programming students, Roomer Ramose and Noel De Gunman, created the virus. De Gunman was already familiar with computer viruses. He had proposed to create one for his undergraduate thesis, which was not accepted, forcing him to drop out.
Damage Caused: (Major) Infected over 50 million computers in 9 days.
