58 - Computer Viruses (w/ Archer Harmony!)
58. Computer Viruses
This is Curioscity, the show about viruses – the kind that make your computer sick. What is a computer virus? How is a computer virus different than malware? Does this episode justify having a laptop on the season 2 artwork? Let’s learn to be scientifically conversational.
General Learning Concepts
1) What is a computer virus?
a. What is a computer? An electronic device for storing and processing data, typically in binary form, according to instructions given to it in a specified way.
b. What is a computer program? In brief, the instructions required to tell the computer hardware how to do a certain task; they perform information processing needs of users. These instructions depend on the platform (or the operating system) of the computer in question. [2]
c. What is a computer virus? Stiller Research, makers of an AntiVirus tool called IM, defines the virus as, "...a program which reproduces its own code by attaching itself to other programs in such a way that the virus code is executed when the infected program is executed."
i. Viruses are not the same things as worms, trojans, or backdoors.
ii. Worms: “These are malicious programs that self-replicate and execute, but do not infect other programs on your computer. They are self-contained and do not need hosts like viruses; however, they can drop virus and Trojan (see below) components inside your computer.”
iii. Trojans: “These are self-contained, potentially useful programs that have been intentionally altered by a programmer to produce an unexpected (sometimes destructive) result. These entities DO NOT replicate themselves, but can be spread through E-mail attachments and Worms. In order to activate a Trojan, a user must willingly intervene to execute it.”
iv. Backdoors: “These entities are actually loopholes in the computer code of some programs that allow remote computers (and their users) to gain administrative privileges (access.)”
2) Why develop a computer virus?
a. Reasons: Why does anyone commit a crime? However, common ideas include showing off, proving a point, fame, revenge. Pretty typical human behavior.
b. Benefits for the creator: Gaining money or information is a useful thing to do with computer viruses. There is also the ability to be able to use other people’s computer to do nefarious activities, therefore hiding the identity of the actual lawbreaker.
4) Fun Tidbits
a. First computer virus: “The first computer virus, called “Creeper system”, was an experimental self-replicating virus released in 1971. It was filling up the hard drive until a computer could not operate any further. This virus was created by BBN technologies in the US.”
5) Solicited Questions
a. What is the difference between computer virus and malware? Malware is a catch-all term for any type of malicious software, regardless of how it works, its intent, or how it’s distributed. A virus is a specific type of malware that self-replicates by inserting its code into other programs.
b. Do all viruses infect all computers? A popular myth is (and perhaps more accurately “was”) that macs could not get computer viruses. This is certainly no longer true. However, viruses tend to need to be written for the operating system they are to effect, which means that windows viruses do not affect mac and vice versa.