Related Resources:
Macro Viruses Reading Material Recent Outbreaks Tips for Safety
Definition:
Viruses are designed to replicate, that is to infect as many users or files as possible. Some viruses, however, have an even more sinister intent. While the affects of any virus, i.e. displaying a dialog box with the words "Have a Good Day", are considered a payload, users are most concerned about viruses with a malicious payload. Such viruses usually generate much more attention in the media. The CIH virus wreaked havoc on systems in 1998. The payload was to overwrite the Flash BIOS of systems, rendering them unbootable. LoveLetter also deployed a malicious payload as part of its routine, overwriting certain media file types. Regardless of the payload rendered, however, all viruses constitute a drain on system resources and thus there is no such thing as a harmless virus. It should be noted that a virus does not have to have a malicious payload to be dangerous. Today's onslaught of combination malware, those consisting of virus, worm, and Trojan combined, can not only infect with or without a payload, they can allow backdoor access to your system, steal passwords, or mass-mail themselves to users listed in your address book.
Related Terms
• Trojan
• Worm
• Virus
In-The-Wild
Check out the in-the-wild list to see what threats antivirus vendors have reported.
Resources to learn more about viruses and what you can do to help prevent them from infecting your system.
Read articles on the various types of malware and steps you can take to avoid them.
Keep informed of recent outbreaks not yet published on the Wildlist.
Articles designed to assist you in defending your system for viruses, with some specific pointers from Sophos to defend against macro infectors.
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