The most dangerous computer virus ever: the story of the Goner virus
It was early morning on September 13th, 2001 when the first reports began to trickle in of a strange new computer virus. This virus, which would come to be known as the Goner virus, was unlike anything anyone had ever seen before. Unlike other viruses, which tended to be relatively harmless or merely disruptive, the Goner virus was designed to be lethal.
The Goner virus worked by overwriting the firmware of a computer’s hard drive, effectively rendering the machine inoperable. Once a machine was infected with the Goner virus, there was no way to fix it short of replacing the entire hard drive – a costly and time-consuming proposition.
Even worse, the Goner virus was apparently spreading rapidly, infecting computers all over the world. The virus seemed to be originating from a single email address, and was being sent out to people in the recipient’s address book. This meant that the virus was quickly propagating itself, and was soon being sent to hundreds or even thousands of people.
The Goner virus caused a lot of panic when it first began circulating. Many people were worried that their computer would be next to be infected, and there was a lot of speculation about who was behind the virus and why they had created it.
Fortunately, it turns out that the Goner virus wasn’t quite as deadly as it first appeared. While the virus was indeed capable of overwriting hard drive firmware, it only did so if the computer was turned off and then turned back on again. If a computer was turned off before the Goner virus had a chance to activate, then the virus would be harmless.
This meant that, while the Goner virus was still a serious threat, it was not the apocalyptic weapon that some had feared. The virus was eventually traced to a Russian teenager who had created it as a prank. The teenager was arrested and charged with numerous counts of computer vandalism.
Despite the fact that the Goner virus turned out to be less dangerous than initially feared, it was still a wake-up call for the computer security community. The Goner virus showed just how easy it was to create a virus that could do serious damage to a large number of computers.
Since the Goner virus first appeared, there have been numerous other viruses that have caused serious damage. The most notable of these is the WannaCry virus, which caused billions of dollars in damage after it infected computers all over the world in 2017.
The WannaCry virus worked in a similar way to the Goner virus, but was even more destructive. Unlike the Goner virus, which only overwrote hard drive firmware, the WannaCry virus encrypted all of the files on an infected computer’s hard drive. This meant that, unless the victim paid a ransom, their files would be lost forever.
Fortunately, the WannaCry virus was eventually stopped by a security researcher who found and released a kill switch. This prevented the virus from spreading any further and likely saved billions of dollars in damages.
Even though the Goner virus was ultimately less dangerous than initially feared, it was still a major wake-up call for the computer security community. The Goner virus showed just how easy it is to create a virus that can do serious damage to a large number of computers. In the years since the Goner virus first appeared, there have been numerous other viruses that have caused serious damage. The most notable of these is the WannaCry virus, which caused billions of dollars in damage after it infected computers all over the world in 2017. The Goner virus will always be remembered as one of the most dangerous computer viruses of all time..Visit Them
The most dangerous computer virus ever: the story of the Code Red virus
The Code Red virus is considered to be the most dangerous computer virus ever created. It was a self-replicating computer worm that caused widespread damage to computers running Microsoft’s IIS web server software. The virus was first discovered on July 13, 2001, and within days, it had spread to tens of thousands of computers around the world. The Code Red virus caused an estimated $2.6 billion in damage and infected more than 8 million computers.
The Code Red virus was created by two Chinese hackers, Li0n and LiFy. They released the virus on the internet with the intention of causing damage to Microsoft’s IIS web server software. The virus was designed to exploit a vulnerability in the IIS software that allowed remote code execution. Once the virus infected a computer, it would search for other computers running IIS and infect them as well. The virus would then display a message on the infected computer’s screen that read “Hacked By Chinese!”
The Code Red virus caused a great deal of damage because it was able to spread so quickly. It propagated itself by exploiting a flaw in Microsoft’s IIS web server software, which was installed on millions of computers. The virus also took advantage of the fact that many computers were not properly configured, which made it easier for the virus to spread.
The Code Red virus was eventually stopped by a group of security experts who created a “kill switch” that prevented the virus from spreading. However, the damage had already been done. The Code Red virus was estimated to have caused $2.6 billion in damage and infected more than 8 million computers.
Visit malwarezero.org to learn more about most dangerous computer virus ever. Disclaimer: We used this website as a reference for this blog post.