DEFINE COMPUTER VIRUS

A computer virus, a type of malware, is exactly what it sounds like, a virus that affects computer software and hardware. A computer virus is a small piece of programming code that is created to “attack” the data files found on the computer. Viruses can often sit dormant within a machine for a very long time, waiting for a particular file to be booted. Some of the worst viruses in history caused billions of dollars in damage, and weakened security systems, exposing vulnerabilities and halting productivity.

Computer viruses, like biological viruses that infect human beings, require a host to survive. While a computer virus is running, it can affect other programs and documents, crippling the machine even further.

While some viruses are created to steal information from the host computer such as credit card numbers, passwords, or personal documents, others are set up to distress or frustrate the owner of the equipment. The simple act of creating a virus that becomes popular in mainstream media is reason enough for some programmers, such as the ILOVEYOU virus of 2000, which overrode existing files on the victim’s machine simply to distress them. The ILOVEYOU virus held the Guinness World Record as the most ‘virulent’ virus of all time and cost nearly $15 billion in damages.