What is the most deadly computer virus?
The most deadly computer virus is the Trojan horse. This virus is so named because it tricks users into believing that it is something that it is not. For example, a Trojan horse might pose as a legitimate program or file, but when executed, it will do damage to the system or infect it with a virus. Trojans are often spread through email attachments or by downloading files from untrustworthy websites. Once a Trojan is on your system, it can give an attacker complete control over your computer. They can then use your computer to commit identity theft, spread more viruses, or even launch attacks on other computers.
What computer virus was responsible for the largest number of deaths?
The largest computer virus outbreak in terms of loss of life was the Code Red worm. This malware infected over 400,000 hosts on the Internet in just a few days and caused an estimated $2 billion in damage. The worm took advantage of a buffer overflow in the Microsoft IIS web server software to propagate itself. Code Red infected a web server and then searched for other systems with the same vulnerability. Once it found an vulnerable system, it would copy itself to that system and then repeat the process. The worm caused so much damage because it quickly overwhelmed organizations with the sheer volume of traffic that it generated. This caused many systems to crash, which in turn led to loss of life in some cases. For example, Code Red was responsible for crashing the servers at the Mayo Clinic, which led to the death of a patient who was unable to receive critical medical treatment in a timely manner.
Visit malwarezero.org to learn more about most deadly computer virus. Disclaimer: We used this website as a reference for this blog post.