computer viruses :: essays research papers

Computer VirusesIt is morning. You’re awakened to the sweet smell of flowers and the sound ofBirds chirping. You turn on your new I B M computer only to findThat every bit and byte of information has been erased. A computer virus hasStruck. These small bits of computer code have slowly overtaken the world ofComputing. A computer virus is a small program that attaches itself to disksAnd computer systems with instructions to do something abnormal. Sometimes theEffects of a computer virus can be harmless. But sometimes the effects of aComputer virus can be dangerous. But whichever way you look at it they stillCause problems. There are many kinds of computer viruses. Three of the mostCommon are the time kill, the logic kill and the Trojan horse. The time kill isA virus triggered by the computers clock reaching a certain date and time (oftenFriday the thirteenth). The logic kill is a virus triggered by a certain valueAppearing a certain part of the computers memory, either relevant to the virusesPurposes or at random. The Trojan horse is an innocent seeming programPurposely infects with a virus and circulated publicly. There is a cure forThese viruses, though. These "cures" are called remedies. A remedy is aProgram that watches for typical things viruses do, halts them, and warns theComputer operator."Put a child with the small pox together with a bunch of healthy childs and notAll of them will get sick." But that is not the case with computer viruses.You see when a computer virus passes on a virus it never fails unless theComputer is protected with a remedy. A typical computer virus spreads fasterThan the small pox too. Now as I said before when a computer virus attemptsTo infect another computer the attack is not always successful. However thatDoes not mean the infected computer stops trying. An infected computer willPass on the virus every chance it gets. Computer viruses are spread by twoMethods Floppy disks and modems. A modem is a phone link connected to aBulletin board service (B.B.S.). A B.B.S. is a lot like what it sounds, aBulletin board. If a human calls you and you're not home he leaves a messageSo that the next time you use the B.B.S. you can see the message. HoweverSometimes a human can leave a virus in a B.B.S. or an unsuspecting computerUser whose computer is infected the next time you hook up to the B.