How Computer Viruses Work
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| Audience/Grade: | 9-Continuing Education |
| Discipline(s): |
Computer Science Information Systems Information Technology Software Engineering |
| Special Topic(s): | |
| Learning Resource Type: |
Reference - Article/Document |
| Media Type: |
Unknown |
| Author(s): |
Marshall Brain |
| Description: | Part of the HowStuffWorks website, this site is organized around how computer viruses work, virus origins and history, virus evolution, worms, and protection. It also has a good set of related links. It begins: "Strange as it may sound, the computer virus is something of an Information Age marvel. On one hand, viruses show us how vulnerable we are -- a properly engineered virus can have a devastating effect, disrupting productivity and doing billions of dollars in damages. On the other hand, they show us how sophisticated and interconnected human beings have become. For example, experts estimate that the Mydoom worm infected approximately a quarter-million computers in a single day in January 2004. Back in March 1999, the Melissa virus was so powerful that it forced Microsoft and a number of other very large companies to completely turn off their e-mail systems until the virus could be contained. The ILOVEYOU virus in 2000 had a similarly devastating effect. In January 2007, a worm called Storm appeared -- by October, experts believed up to 50 million computers were infected. That's pretty impressive when you consider that many viruses are incredibly simple." |
| Rating: |
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| Related Resources | |
| Keywords: | computer virus computer security |
| Has Components: |
Video on How Computer Viruses Work |
| Is Component of: |
How Stuff Works |
| Usage Tip | |
| Related ABET Criteria: |
(h) Understand global, economic, environmental, and societal context |
| Use of Resource: |
Good reference site. |
| Difficulty: |
Medium |
| Interactivity Level: |
Low |
| Version Info | |
| Publication Date: | November 2007 |
| Platform/Format: |
WWW |
| Cost: |
Free |
| Download URL: | http://www.howstuffworks.com/virus.htm |
| Metadata: |
IEEE LOM Record |
| Collection: |
NEEDS
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