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Computer Virus - Typography

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74 views13 pages

Computer Virus - Typography

Uploaded by

Sarah Cortex
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Computer virus

1. Define Computer Virus.

A computer virus is a software program attached to a legitimate


program that is destructive in nature and infects other programs in
the system by replicating and attaching itself to other healthy
programs

2.How does the virus harm or attack the computer ?

1.It Corrupts and delete the data or files.


2.It Effect the functionality of software applications.
3.it Effect the Hard Disk by erasing everything.
4.it will Use e-mail to infect the other computers.
5.The processing of the computer is also affected.
6..The virus also spread through the files downloaded on Internet.
.
The virus cannot infect write protected disks or written
documents, already compressed file and computer hardware, it
only infects software.

2. What is a virus? How does it differ from an ordinary program?


Virus stands as an acronym for “Vital Information Resources
Under Seige” and this concept is not new but dates back to 1949
when John Von Neumann introduced the concept of Self
Replicating Program.
The first commercial application of viruses appeared in 1985,
when two Pakistani brothers, in order to keep track of software
piracy, used Brain Virus (also known as Pakistani virus) on their
81 low cost software. It was an extra program not supplied by the
original manufacturer. These types of self-replicating programs
multiplied so fast and they are a threat to the smooth operation of
a computer.

3.What are the effects of computer virus ?

1.Computer Virus can slow down your computer performance and


become inefficient or
run slowly.

2.It tends to fill up the computer with useless data.

3.Virus can corrupt the system files.

4.It can make the changes in the data of the programs or files and
cause erratic results.

5.It might steal important information from your computer and


send the same to some other
person.

6.It might reset or reboot a computer by sending the required


codes.

7..It might format a disk by sending the formatting command to


the system thereby causing to lose everything on the disk.
8..The computer gets restarted frequently by itself if there is virus

3. How can you protect your computer from viruses?

Study any 6 points

1.Use updated anti-virus program.

2.Do not copy pirated software on your computer.

3.Use the legal software from the reliable sources only.

4.Do not download suspicious shareware programs.

5.Use a secure operating system.

6.Avoid letting the system to be used by unauthorized users.

7.Allow you to schedule scans to automatically run for you.

8.Scan the computer using Virus Scanner while booting up the


system.

9.Avoid loading of games that are passed as freeware.


10.Proper backup of all data and program files should be kept.

11.Remove suspicious and unnecessary files.

12.Make system files “Read only”.

13.Always protect your password.

14.Keep windows updated.

15.Use the scanned USB drives.

4. What is the difference between the computer virus and


biological virus?

Computer virus is an electronic virus and Biological Viruses


(Human Virus) are tiny genetic codes DNA or RNA that take over
the machinery of a living cell and are capable of making
thousands of replicas of the original virus. Like biological virus,
the computer virus carries in it an instructional code that makes
copies of itself. In computer, the virus takes temporary control of
the disk operating system and when it comes in contact with an
uninfected computer, the virus passes onto the uninfected
computer also.It is assumed that Biological viruses and Computer
viruses are the same entity, because both cause infection and
damage to their host/target. Although some of their features &
characteristics are same but they are quite different from each
other

5. What are the various types of viruses? Outline the net effect of
each.

1. Boot Sector Virus


It is a type of virus which infects master boot record or hard disks.
The infected code runs when the system is booted from an
infected disk. They infect at a BIOS level, they use DOS
commands to spread to other floppy disks.

Examples of boot viruses include: Polyboot.B, Joshi, Gravity,


AntiEXE and Cbrain virus.

.2. Companion Virus

Unlike traditional viruses, a companion virus is computer virus


which does not modify any files. Instead, it creates a copy of the
file and places a different extension on it, usually .com. This
makes a companion virus difficult to detect, as anti-virus software
tends to use changes in files as clue.

Some examples include: Stator, Asimov.1539, Stator and


Terrax.1069

3. Email Virus
An email virus is a virus which is attached to email
communications or sent with it..
Email viruses also vary in many ways. In some cases the sender
of an email virus may be unknown to a user, or a subject line may
be filled with silly text. In some other cases, a hacker may cleverly
disguise the email as being from a known and trusted sender.

.4. Logic Bomb


Logic bombs and time bombs are small malicious programs to
cause harm at a certain point of time but they do not replicate.
They are not even programs in their own right but rather
camouflaged segments of other programs. A logic bomb may be
implemented by someone trying to sabotage a database when
they are fairly certain they won’t be present to experience the
effects, such as full database deletion. In these instances, logic
bombs are programmed to exact revenge or sabotage work.

For example, a programmer could delete the critical sections of


code by establishing a logicbomb if he/she is terminated from the
company. Logic bombs are most commonly installed by the
insiders who have the access to the system.

.5. Macro Virus


A MAC or Macro Virus is a virus which spreads to other
computers through software programs that utilize macros. These
viruses infect the files created using some applications or
programs that contain macros such as doc, pps, xls and mdb.

For example, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel are two popular
and widely used programs which have the capability of executing
macros. The macro virus is initially embedded in one document or
a few documents, but it can spread to other documents within the
same computer, as well reaching out to other computers through
shared documents and infect the other files, templates and
documents also. They automatically infect the files, templates and
documents with macros that are contained in the file. They hide in
documents shared through e-mail and networks.

Examples of macro viruses: Relax, Melissa.A, Bablas,


O97M/Y2K.

6. Cross-Site Scripting Virus

It is called Cross-site scripting (XSS). It is an injection attack


which is carried out on Web applications that accept input, but do
not properly separate data and executable code before the input
is delivered back to a user’s browser. It mostly uses the
vulnerable website as a vehicle to deliver a malicious script to the
victim’s browser.
During the page loading, the malicious script execute making the
user unable to avoid the attack.

The best example of XSS is Java-Script.

7. Worm
The Worm is very similar to a virus and has the ability to self-
replicate itself and infect the computer also. They travel longer
distances by storing themselves in critical areas of the disk from
where they get loaded and have with them sufficient code to
transfer themselves outward from the infected system. Worms
have been known to damage and infect the entire LANs. It does
not modify a program like a virus; however, it replicates so much
that it consumes the resources of the computer and makes it
slow. Worms are independent programs while viruses attach
themselves to another program.

Examples of Worm: Lovgate.F, Sobig.D, Trile.C, PSWBugbear.B,


Mapson, Code Red, Nimda.

.8. Trojan Horse


It is similar to virus. Trojan horse is a hidden malicious code that
could alter or delete the information of client computer or perform
any other unauthorized function. Trojan horses contain programs
that corrupt the data or damage the files. It can also corrupt the
software applications.

Trojans can illegally trace important login details of users online –


for example
E-Banking.

The activities of Trojans are:


1.Deleting data
2.Blocking data
3.Modifying data
4.Copying data
5.Disrupting the performance of computers or computer networks
6.Trojan horse does not replicate themselves like viruses and do
not infect other software.

6. What precautionary measures should be taken in order to keep


your computer safe from the virus?
Choose any 8 points

1.Use updated anti-virus program.

2.Do not copy pirated software on your computer.

3.Use the legal software from the reliable sources only.

4.Do not download suspicious shareware programs.

5.Use a secure operating system.

6.Avoid letting the system to be used by unauthorized users.

7.Allow you to schedule scans to automatically run for you.

8.Scan the computer using Virus Scanner while booting up the


system.

9.Avoid loading of games that are passed as freeware.

10.Proper backup of all data and program files should be kept.

11.Remove suspicious and unnecessary files.

12.Make system files “Read only”.

13.Always protect your password.


14.Keep windows updated.

15.Use the scanned USB drives.

7. What is the difference between Trojan Horses and Virus?


Trojan horse does not replicate themselves like viruses and do
not infect other software. The difference between bombs and
Trojans is that, the bombs are insider jobs, Trojans are brought in
from outside by unsuspecting users through other programs

9. Differentiate between Computer Virus and Computer Worm.


11. What is meant by Anti-Virus software? Name few popular anti-
virus software.

Anti-virus software is a program which is designed to search,


detect, prevent and remove software viruses, and other malicious
software like Trojans, worms etc.
If the computer system gets infected, despite all possible efforts,
then in such cases the virus vaccines assist you to come out of
such difficulties.The viruses are not omnipotent. Anti-virus
programs help to cure the viruses. They perform one or more the
following functions:

1.Prevention
2.Detection
3.Vaccination
4.Inoculation
5.Damage control

Few popular antivirus software are :(learn any 6)

Norton Anti-Virus
McAfee
Kaspersky
Webroot
Symantec (Norton)
AVG
Microsoft Security Essentials
Quick Heal
EScan
Fill in the blanks :

1.The biological virus contains the genetic material in the form of


DNA or RNA.

2.The full form of Virus is Vital Information Resources Under


Siege.

3.Viruses do not infect compressed files unless the file was


infected prior to the compression.

4.Virus can infect only computer files.

5.Boot-sector virus usually exists on bootable media (like floppy


disks or USB drives).

6.The logic bombs are used to sabotage data or systems.

7.The worm mostly attacks the network.

8.Trojan horses do not replicate themselves like viruses and do


not infect other software.

9.The operating system that is less affected by the virus is Linux.


(Linux and Mac operating systems are less vulnerable to virus attack)

10.The virus is also attached with email attachments.


11.Once installed, a Trojan program can be set to work in the
background.

12.A virus is inactive until you execute an infected program or


application.

13.The virus was first found in 1986.

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