Computer Viruses

Computer viruses have become a major news topic with the rise of internet usage making it easier for viruses to spread. A computer virus is a program that can self-replicate and spread from computer to computer. The first academic work on computer viruses was in 1949 and the first virus was created in 1984 to demonstrate software vulnerabilities. There are now over 30,000 known viruses with 300 new ones created each month. Common viruses include Trojan horses like Back Orifice that allow remote access, worms like Bubbleboy that spread over networks, and macro viruses like Melissa that infect documents. Antivirus software uses signature detection and heuristics to find viruses, while regular software updates are needed to patch vulnerabilities exploited by viruses.