10 Most destructive computer viruses of all time

1. The Morris Worm

One of the first destructive computer viruses, the Morris Worm was created in 1988 by a Cornell University student named Robert T. Morris. The virus caused widespread havoc, infecting an estimated 6,000 computers across the United States. The Morris Worm was so destructive because it caused computers to crash and become unusable. In some cases, the virus also caused physical damage to the computers it infected.

2. The Michelangelo Virus

The Michelangelo virus was first discovered in 1992 and was named after the famous artist Michelangelo. The virus was programmed to activate on March 6th, which happened to be Michelangelo’s birthday. When the virus activated, it displayed a message on the infected computer’s screen that said “Happy Birthday, Michelangelo.” The virus then proceeded to damage or delete files on the computer’s hard drive. An estimated 5 million computers were infected with the Michelangelo virus.

3. The CIH Virus

The CIH virus, also known as the Chernobyl virus, was released in 1998. Named after the nuclear disaster that occurred in Chernobyl, the CIH virus was designed to damage computer hard drives. The virus was particularly destructive because it corrupted the computer’s BIOS, making it impossible to boot up or restart the computer. The CIH virus is estimated to have caused billions of dollars in damage.

4. The Love Letter Virus

The Love Letter virus was first discovered in 2000 and quickly spread around the world, infecting millions of computers. The virus was so named because itspread via email attachments that appeared to be love letters. When opened, the attachment would unleash the virus, which would then proceed to delete files and spread to other computers. The Love Letter virus caused an estimated $10 billion in damage.

5. The Code Red Virus

The Code Red virus was discovered in 2001 and quickly spread to hundreds of thousands of computers. The virus took advantage of a security flaw in Microsoft’s IIS web server software. Once a computer was infected, the virus would display a message on the infected computer’s screen that read “Hacked By Chinese!” The Code Red virus is estimated to have caused $2.6 billion in damage.

6. The Nimda Virus

The Nimda virus was discovered in 2001, just a few weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11th. The virus quickly spread around the world, infecting millions of computers. The Nimda virus was particularly destructive because it could spread itself via email, network shares, and even through Web pages. The virus also had the ability to disable antivirus software. The Nimda virus caused an estimated $648 million in damage.

7. The Blaster Worm

The Blaster worm was discovered in 2003 and quickly spread to millions of computers. The worm exploited a security flaw in Microsoft’s Windows operating system, allowing it to spread itself without any user interaction. Once a computer was infected, the worm would display a message on the infected computer’s screen that read “I just want to say LOVE YOU SAN!!” The Blaster worm caused an estimated $13.8 billion in damage.

8. The Sasser Worm

The Sasser worm was discovered in 2004 and quickly spread to millions of computers. The worm exploited a security flaw in the Microsoft Windows operating system, allowing it to spread without any user interaction. Once a computer was infected, the worm would cause the computer to crash. The Sasser worm caused an estimated $18.5 billion in damage.

9. The Mydoom Virus

The Mydoom virus was discovered in 2004 and quickly spread to millions of computers. The virus was spread via email attachments and infected computers would display a message that read “I’m sorry, I love you.” Once a computer was infected, the virus would allow remote access to the computer, allowing the attacker to steal sensitive information or install additional malware. The Mydoom virus caused an estimated $38.5 billion in damage.

10. The WannaCry Ransomware

The WannaCry ransomware was discovered in 2017 and quickly spread to millions of computers. The ransomware took advantage of a security flaw in the Microsoft Windows operating system, allowing it to spread without any user interaction. Once a computer was infected, the ransomware would encrypt the files on the computer’s hard drive and display a message that demanded a ransom be paid in order to decrypt the files. The WannaCry ransomware caused an estimated $4 billion in damage..Site link

The difference between computer viruses and malware

In short, computer viruses are self-replicating code that specifically target and infect software, while malware is any software used to maliciously harm a computer.

While all malware is designed to do some form of harm to your computer, not all malware is created equal. In fact, there are two very different types of malicious software that your computer can be infected with: computer viruses andTrojan horses.

What is a Computer Virus?

A computer virus is a type of self-replicating code that is designed specifically to infect software and, in some cases, hardware. Once a virus has infected a computer, it can spread to other computers by attaching itself to files and applications that are shared.

The most common type of virus is a boot sector virus, which infects the boot sector of a hard drive. These types of viruses are often spread by diskettes that are infected with the virus. When the disk is inserted into a computer, the virus will infect the boot sector, making it difficult or even impossible to boot up the computer.

Other types of computer viruses include file viruses, which attach themselves to executable files, and macro viruses, which infect files that use macros, such as Microsoft Word or Excel files.

What is Malware?

Malware is a catch-all term that is used to describe any type of software that is designed to damage a computer or cause it to malfunction. Unlike a computer virus, malware is not self-replicating, but it can still be just as damaging to your computer.

The most common type of malware is a Trojan horse, which is a type of malicious code that is disguised as a legitimate program. When you download and install a Trojan horse, it will implant other malware onto your computer, such as spyware or adware.

Another type of malware is spyware, which is designed to collect personal information about you without your knowledge or consent. This information is then transmitted to third-party marketers, who use it to target you with advertisements.

Adware is similar to spyware in that it collects information about you, but it is used to display advertisements on your computer. These advertisements can be extremely annoying, and in some cases, they can even be malicious.

How to Protect Yourself from Malware

The best way to protect your computer from malware is to install an antivirus program and keep it up-to-date. Antivirus programs are designed to detect and remove malware from your computer.

In addition to an antivirus program, you should also install a firewall on your computer. A firewall will help to block malicious software from your computer.

You should also be very careful about what you download and install on your computer. Trojan horses and other types of malware are often spread through email attachments and file-sharing programs.

Do not open email attachments unless you are absolutely sure that they are safe. Be especially cautious of email attachments that come from someone you do not know.

Never download files from file-sharing programs unless you are sure that they are safe. Always scan any files that you download with an antivirus program before opening them.

Never click on links in email messages or instant messages unless you are sure that they are safe. Many types of malware are spread through links that lead to malicious websites.

If you are ever unsure about a link, you can hovering your mouse over the link to see where it will take you. If the link looks suspicious, do not click on it.

We used malwarezero.org to write this article about most dangerous computer virus. Original Content.