Computer viruses are self-propagating programs that are capable of making changes to hardware, operating systems, or software using a damaging component that is often included in the virus file itself. Since the effect they have on systems cannot be controlled and the harmful program can damage affected systems, they are considered to be “malware”. In addition to computer viruses, there are also Trojan horses and Internet worms. It is rarely possible for users to differentiate between these species due to the fact that the boundaries between them have become quite blurred. Technically, they can be differentiated on the basis of their techniques and propagation concepts.
The boot sector virus Brian was the first known PC virus. It appeared on January 19, 1986. Brian infected computers via floppy disks but it was relatively harmless. The preponderance of boot sector viruses, which were practically eliminated with the disappearance of the floppy disk, lasted from 1986 to 1995. Since they were transferred from one computer to another via floppy disk, the spread of these viruses did not reach critical levels until months or sometimes years after their first appearance. This all changed in 1995 with the advent of macro viruses, which exploited security holes in early Windows operating systems. Macro viruses dominated the IT world for a total of four years and the window of time beginning with the day on which the malware was discovered and ending on the day on which it had spread worldwide was reduced to approximately one month.
As communication via e-mail became ever more popular, e-mail worms followed which could cause the breakout of global epidemics. One of the first of these, Loveletter, alias ILOVEYOU, received dubious fame when, in 1999, it was responsible for extensive financial damage around the globe before it could be brought under control. 2001 was the beginning of a new era: network worms abounded that automatically and indiscriminately infected every computer that happened to be online and unprotected. Network worms such as Sasser or Blaster are able to spread worldwide within an hour and, together with e-mail worms, are still responsible for a great deal of damage in the IT world today.
Currently, there are over 150,000 viruses and the number is increasing rapidly. Since the first virus, one thing has changed dramatically, however: The motives of the virus writers. The greatest change since 1986 therefore lies in the transition from amateur virus writers to criminally active groups seeking financial gain. This trend continues today.
naiin in the fight against viruses
In the fight against viruses, naiin is especially involved in educating and informing the user community. The initiative warns its members of current virus epidemics and recommends protective mechanisms.
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