What Computer Virus Is

Called computer virus, because this vandal program has many sameness with biological virus that in advance known. Both has same distribution pattern: human was infect a virus will infect other human that contact with him.
Another sameness lays in the reproduction pattern. Because it can not reproduce its self, biological virus injected its DNA into human body, and make use cell reproduction system to multiply. Operative same thing also in computer virus. To launch attack, computer virus embedding amount of program or other document.
At the (time) of program or document that infected has been run, computer virus infected program or another file. Special characters above that distinguish virus with other malware like worm, malware that can distribute and multiply its self, or spyware, malware usually walk as program standalone.

virus history

First time, Computer virus scattered by the end of 1980 because several factors. First factor the wide-speading of use PC. Before 1980-an, personal computer almost can be said there is no or only shaped toy. Computer truthfully still very rare, and only used by experts from certain circle.

Second factor use computer bulletin board. People can dial up a bulletin board use modem, and download most often various computer program during that period is game, then followed by application word processor, spreadsheet, and another voluminous application.

Bulletin board also that see off a pioneer virus that known as trojan horse. First generation viruses is code nest that inserted into program used occasionally person at that time, like game or popular word processor.

When somebody download program that infected by virus, with wicked codes from bulletin board and run it at PC, the virus loading its self into memory, and will engage in to look for other program to infect them. Furthermore, virus infection has happened when program that infected has been given to user other, either through media floppy disk also upload to bulletin board.

virus evolution

One of the important development reachesed by virus is the ability comes into memory, and then walk behind the scenes during computer active. This matter gives freedom action for virus to reproduce its self effectively.

Another important development ability is infected boot sector in floppy disk and hard disk. Boot sector is little program that first part from operating system -loading from into memory, at moment computer first time lighted. With put codes in boot sector, a virus will ascertain self excecution and mobile at computer.

Virus exist in boot sector can infect boot sector every floppy disk at insert into computer that infected. Computer at Rental computer, or Computer in campus makes this virus distribution more uncontrollably.

Virus triumph era boot sector lessened, because computer program size ever greater insufficient in a floppy Disk. Then, computer program be distributed to pass CD that can not be written (read only). But, life cycle always rolling. what ever happen in ancient time, certain will repeated at future.

So also with computer virus distribution pattern. Virus has found road other to overspread self, that is pass email dan use USB Flash Disk. Computer virus distribution via internet not such a new material, but go on since era bulletin board.

When formerly virus overspreaded to pass bulletin board, now they are using email. Sent as spam. Such also with virus boot sector formerly aim floppy disk, and lessened when popular storage media turns into CD, now change the target is usb flash disk. (Source: pcmild, 01-2009).