VIRUS

What is a Virus
Computer viruses are malicious programs embedded in the code of other applications and
reproduce by copying themselves. They are also able to distribute their copies through various
communication channels.
A computer virus is created to reduce the functionality of the hardware and software structures of
computing devices: delete files, damage data, block the user's work. The impact of infections can
be devastating and annoying, as they slow down the operation of the operating system, lead to
crashes and sudden reboots, and reduce free memory space.

Key Takeaways
● Computer viruses are a type of malicious program embedded in other applications' code
and reproduce by copying themselves.
● The most common computer viruses are worms, rootkit, spyware, zombie, adware,
Trojan viruses, and Winlock.
● Computer viruses one transmitted directly affect any information resources and computer
devices when interacting with them, and as a result, changes the device functionality.
● Cybercriminals' common ways to distribute viruses are remote desktop protocol, phishing
emails, drive-by downloads from a hacked website, removable media, and USB drives.
● In mobile devices, scammers disguise viruses and distribute them as harmless
applications and files such as browsers, games, navigators, books, antiviruses.
● Apple devices are less likely to be infected by viruses, unlike Microsoft and android
devices.
● Decreased productivity, Apps stop working, missing files, disappeared antivirus, blocked
firewall, and computer language changes are some of the signs of virus present in a
device.
● Data backup, regular scans by use of antiviruses, use of strong passwords, external drive
checking, running programs from trusted sources only are some of the best ways to
prevent computer viruses.

Key Statistics of Viruses

Despite numerous antivirus initiatives, hackers and cybercriminals aren't easily deterred, mainly
when there's money to be made in a virus attack.
The following is a list of the most significant virus statistics:
1. Employees who use infected computers distribute viruses more easily.
2. The number of virus attacks that disrupted businesses nearly doubled.
 3. Virus attacks are most common in the United States, followed by virus attacks in the
United Kingdom.
4. More than 60% of businesses could have understaffed cybersecurity teams.
5. The virus is becoming less prevalent.
6. Traditional virus attack vectors have been seriously impacted.

Types of viruses?
Let's consider the main types of viruses:
● Worms
A worm is a program that makes copies of itself. Its effect lies in clogging up the computer,
slowing it down. One of the worm's distinguishing characteristics is that it cannot be integrated
into another harmless software.
● Rootkit
These viruses aim to try to hide malicious behavior. They disguise viruses to avoid being
detected by antivirus software. Rootkits can also alter a computer's operating system and replace
simple functions to conceal their existence and an intruder's behavior on an infected computer.
● Spyware
Spyware gathers data on user activities and behavior. They are primarily interested in data
(addresses, passwords, and credit card numbers, for example).
● Zombie
An intruder may use zombies to take control of a user's computer. Zombies can be networked
(bot-no) and used to conduct mass attacks on websites or send spam. The user may be unaware
that his machine has been mutated and is being used by an attacker.
● Advertising Viruses - Adware
Advertising programs are inserted in different applications without the users' knowledge to view
advertisements. Adware is commonly used in freeware. Advertising can be found in the user
interface. These programs also collect and send personal information about users to the
program's creator.
● Trojan viruses
The Trojan horse is the most harmful virus because it hides in other harmless programs. And
once the user runs this entirely secure software, the Trojan poses no threat and is challenging to
detect. The Trojan horse can affect your machine in several ways. Trojans are widely used to
steal, change, or remove a user's data. The Trojan virus is noteworthy for its inability to replicate
on its own.
Modern antivirus programs have the necessary functionality to detect and neutralize various
virus programs and provide reliable protection for the user's computer.
How virus infect devices
Like a common influenza virus, which cannot spread without a host cell, a computer virus cannot
be transmitted without being tied to a file or document. It can be distributed on one or more
computers that are part of a single local or global network.
The virus directly affects any information resources and computer devices when interacting with
them, and as a result, changes their work. It first connects to an approved legitimate program that
supports macro scripts or other programmatic algorithms to execute its code and inflict damage.
The effects of malicious viral exposure can be very unpredictable. As a result of viral activity,
the integrity of the system software can be violated, entailing several irreversible processes, up to
the removal of the operating system and breakdown of data storage structures, as well as damage
or destruction of various user data. Considering that the vast majority of users have confidential
information.

Ways Cybercriminals Distribute Viruses

Viruses can take control of computers or servers via a variety of attack vectors. The following
are the four most common ways viruses infect their victims.
● Phishing Emails

Phishing emails are the most popular way for hackers to spread viruses. They use well-
crafted phishing emails to get people to open attachments or click on links that will take them
to malicious files.
● Remote Desktop Protocol

To infect their victims, attackers are increasingly using IT administrators may use the Remote
Desktop Protocol to access data and modify a user's computer.
● Drive-By Downloads from a Hacked Website

Drive-by downloads are another way for attackers to distribute viruses. When a computer user
visits an infected website, unapproved downloads occur without their knowledge.
● Removable Media and USB

Small gadgets, such as USB drives, cell phones, and external hard drives, can all be used to
inject viruses into your computer system.
For instance, if you attach your USB drives to your computer and the USB drives contain a virus,
your computer will become infected.

Virus in mobile devices

Scammer’s disguise viruses as harmless applications and files: browsers, players, games,
navigators, books, antiviruses. Then they distribute them:
1. On sites for adults, sites with pirated films and hacked applications, torrent
trackers, etc.
For example, you search the Internet for some game or program, and you find yourself on the
forum. Someone left the vital link, and everyone thanks him in unison.
Or go to the site with pirated movies and TV series, a message appears. It says that the mobile
devices / mobile devices are infected with viruses, or some program is very outdated. It even
happens that the device begins to vibrate or make strange sounds.
2. By SMS, MMS, and Email
As a rule, these are SMS from "girls from dating sites," from free classifieds sites, letters from
"notaries from Germany," messages about winning the lottery.
How to protect your mobile devices from viruses
● Install applications only from the Play Store and take their choice seriously.
It is challenging for an untrained person to distinguish a virus from a regular application. To
protect users, Google has created a unique directory with applications - Play Store.
● Do not follow unknown links in SMS, MMS, or mail.
Scammers have even learned to spoof numbers and email addresses, so messages with viral links
can come from people you know.
● Do not root the device or install unofficial firmware
If there is a root on the device, the virus will register in system applications, and then only a
complete flashing of the device can remove it.
● Disable automatic receipt of MMS on your device
Fraudsters can automatically download viruses to the device via MMS. This is due to
vulnerabilities in the Stagefright library.

Can viruses infect Apple products?

Since an Apple computer may be infected with a virus or malware, the short answer is yes. In
comparison to Microsoft and Android devices, Apple devices are less likely to be infected.

How to detect viruses

The main signs of a virus on a device
1. Decreased productivity. The computer began to work slowly, the Internet "freezes,"
programs began to open longer than usual.
2. Apps stop working. Error warnings appear.
3. There are many pop-up windows and messages that the computer is infected with.
4. You cannot connect to the Internet, or it is too slow. Lack of Internet connection is
another common symptom of computer infection. If a computer is infected, a virus can
automatically connect to the Internet, reducing bandwidth or making it impossible to
connect to the network.
 5. When connected to the Internet, various windows open, or the browser displays pages
that you did not open. This is a sure sign of infection. Many viruses redirect traffic to
specific sites against your will. They can also spoof web pages, and then the user thinks
that they are viewing a reliable site, but they are a dangerous imitation of it.
6. Files are missing. Some viruses delete, encrypt or transfer data from one place to another.
7. The antivirus has disappeared, and the firewall is blocked. Another common symptom of
a threat is the blocking of the protection system (antivirus, firewall, etc.) installed on the
computer. However, you need to keep in mind: if only one thing suddenly stopped
working, then perhaps this is a specific error of this software.
8. Change of language. If some applications' language has changed, the screen does not
display files correctly; then the computer is infected.
9. Loss of saved files, programs, games from the computer. Again, this could be a sign of a
virus infection.
10. If the computer operates independently, the system sends letters without your knowledge;
different sites open on their own, then your computer is infected.

How to prevent viruses

One of the main ways to fight viruses is timely prevention. To prevent virus infections, there are
a few guidelines to follow:
1. Scan for viruses before running programs downloaded from the Internet or attaching to
an email message.
2. Before copying or accessing files on flash drives or booting your machine from them,
you can scan them for viruses.
3. Virus protection software must be installed and updated regularly. As new signatures
become available, immediately update the antivirus program's database to collect virus
signature files.
4. Viruses should be screened regularly on your hard drives. When you turn on your device
and insert an optical drive into the reader, scanning is usually done automatically. When
searching for viruses, the antivirus computer compares the program code to the codes of
viruses it has already identified and stored in its database.
5. Use strong passwords to prevent viruses from guessing them and gaining administrator
access. Virus harm can be minimized by archiving files regularly.
6. Backing up sensitive data stored on hard drives is the most common method of
preserving information.
In conclusion, the virus starts automatically and immediately begins to implement a set of
measures, the ultimate goal of which is to harm or steal information. However, a virus does not
necessarily immediately start infecting a user's computer device upon infiltration. It can be in a
sleep mode or a standby state and remain idle for some time until its malicious code is executed
or certain conditions for its activation are met.