The 5 Worst Computer Viruses of All Time
If you’ve ever worried about your computer getting infected with a virus, you’re not alone. Millions of people around the world are affected by malware every day, and the stakes are only getting higher as cybercriminals become more sophisticated.
While there are literally thousands of different types of malware out there, some are definitely more dangerous than others. In this article, we’ll take a look at five of the worst computer viruses of all time, based on their destructiveness, the number of people affected, and the estimated financial damage they caused.
1. ILOVEYOU
ILOVEYOU is a virus that first surfaced in 2000 and is estimated to have caused billions of dollars in damage. The virus spread quickly and easily, mainly due to the fact that it posed as a love letter. Once opened, the ILOVEYOU virus would replicates itself and send itself out to everyone in the victim’s address book.
While the virus didn’t do any direct damage to files, it quickly filled up victims’ hard drives and caused their systems to crash. It also spread so quickly that it clogged up email servers around the world, causing major delays and disruptions.
2. MyDoom
MyDoom is a virus that first appeared in 2004 and is considered to be one of the fastest-spreading viruses of all time. The virus was spread via email, and once opened, it would replicates itself and send itself out to everyone in the victim’s address book.
MyDoom also had a destructive payload, which would launch a denial-of-service attack against a specific website. This website was randomly chosen, but in some cases, it was the website of a well-known company, such as Microsoft.
Denial-of-service attacks are designed to make a website inaccessible by flooding it with traffic, and MyDoom caused major disruptions for many organizations. The estimated damage caused by the virus was over $38 billion.
3. Code Red
Code Red was a virus that first appeared in 2001 and quickly spread to millions of computers around the world. The virus took advantage of a security flaw in Microsoft’s IIS web server software, and once a system was infected, the virus would replicates itself and scan for other vulnerable systems.
Once a system was infected, the Code Red virus would deface any web pages hosted on that system. The text of the defacement would vary, but it typically included a message critical of the United States government.
In addition to defacing websites, Code Red also caused major disruptions for many organizations by launching denial-of-service attacks. The estimated damage caused by the virus was over $2 billion.
4. Sasser
Sasser was a virus that first appeared in 2004 and quickly spread to millions of computers around the world. The virus took advantage of a security flaw in the Windows LSASS service, and once a system was infected, the virus would replicates itself and scan for other vulnerable systems.
Once a system was infected, the Sasser virus would launch a denial-of-service attack against the Windows Update website. This website is used by millions of people around the world to download updates for their Windows operating system, and the attack caused major disruptions for many users.
The estimated damage caused by the Sasser virus was over $18 billion.
5. WannaCry
WannaCry is a virus that first appeared in 2017 and quickly spread to millions of computers around the world. The virus took advantage of a security flaw in Microsoft’s Windows operating system, and once a system was infected, the virus would encrypt the files on the system and demand a ransom for the decryption key.
While the WannaCry virus didn’t do any direct damage to files, the encryption it used was so strong that it rendered the affected files unusable. This meant that victims would either have to pay the ransom or lose access to their important data.
The estimated damage caused by the WannaCry virus was over $4 billion.
These are just a few of the worst computer viruses of all time, and there are sure to be more in the future. As cybercriminals become more sophisticated, the stakes continue to increase, and it’s more important than ever to protect your computer from malware.Click here for more
The most common dangerous viruses
The most common dangerous viruses are the influenza virus, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and the hepatitis C virus (HCV). All three of these viruses are highly contagious and can cause severe illness in people of all ages.
The influenza virus is a respiratory virus that is most commonly spread through contact with respiratory secretions, such as saliva, mucus, or blood, from an infected person. The virus can also be spread through contact with contaminated surfaces, such as doorknobs, door handles, or keyboard keys. Symptoms of the flu include fever, headache, muscle aches, sore throat, and fatigue. In some cases, the flu can lead to pneumonia, which can be fatal.
HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, making people infected with the virus susceptible to other infections and illnesses, which can be deadly. HIV is most commonly spread through sexual contact or sharing needles with an infected person. Symptoms of HIV include fatigue, weight loss, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. If left untreated, HIV can progress to AIDS, which is a fatal illness.
Hepatitis C is a virus that attacks the liver, causing inflammation and damage. Hepatitis C is most commonly spread through contact with blood from an infected person. Symptoms of hepatitis C include fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, and jaundice. Hepatitis C can be a chronic illness, and in some cases, can lead to liver failure and death.
Visit malwarezero.org to learn more about what was the most dangerous computer virus. Disclaimer: We used this website as a reference for this blog post.