News tagged with computer virus

Armenia jails Russian computer virus 'mastermind'

A court in Armenia on Tuesday gave a four-year jail sentence to the alleged Russian mastermind behind a computer virus crime group which infected some 30 million computers worldwide.

Technology / Internet

created May 22, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Hackers pick Google's pocket with Mac virus

A virus infecting Macintosh computers is picking Google's pocket by hijacking advertising "clicks," tallying as much as $10,000 daily, according to Internet security firm Symantec.

Technology / Software

created May 01, 2012 | popularity 3.1 / 5 (10) | comments 4

Religion riskier than porn for online viruses: study

Web wanderers are more likely to get a computer virus by visiting a religious website than by peering at porn, according to a study released on Tuesday.

Technology / Internet

created May 01, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (11) | comments 20

Official: Iran oil industry safe after cyberattack

(AP) -- An Iranian official says the country's oil industry is working well despite an attack from hackers and a computer virus that targeted the sector's computer systems.

Technology / Internet

created Apr 24, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Apple out to kill widespread Macintosh virus

Apple said it is crafting a weapon to vanquish a Flashback virus from Macintosh computers and working to disrupt the command network being used by hackers behind the infections. ...

Technology / Software

created Apr 11, 2012 | popularity 2.1 / 5 (7) | comments 5

Hackers hitting Macs with virus: industry experts

The computer security industry buzzed Thursday with warnings that more than a half-million Macintosh computers may have been infected with a virus targeting Apple machines.

Technology / Software

created Apr 05, 2012 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (17) | comments 22

Stuxnet was 'good idea': former CIA chief

The Stuxnet computer virus sabotage of Iran's nuclear program was a "good idea" but it lent legitimacy to the use of malicious software as a weapon, according to a former CIA director.

Technology / Internet

created Mar 02, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (4) | comments 1

Social-network use leads companies to boost security

When Randy Kortering decided to upgrade computer network defenses at Haworth, a $1 billion-a-year office fixtures manufacturer, his chief of security warned him about social-networking use.

Technology / Internet

created Mar 02, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Koobface computer virus gang unmasked

Online security researchers claimed Tuesday to have identified the members of a Russian gang of cyber criminals behind the Koobface computer virus which has attacked Facebook and other sites.

Technology / Internet

created Jan 17, 2012 | popularity 3.8 / 5 (4) | comments 0

Japan developing cyber weapon: report

Japan has been developing a virus that could track down the source of a cyber attack and neutralise its programme, the daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported Sunday.

Technology / Internet

created Jan 01, 2012 | popularity 3.8 / 5 (6) | comments 3

US Internet users not as scam-savvy as they think

US Internet users are continuing to fall for online scams, especially if the promised prize is a chance at a hip new gadget such as a tablet computer, according to a new study.

Technology / Internet

created Dec 23, 2011 | popularity 4 / 5 (4) | comments 4

Norway hit by major data-theft attack

(AP) -- Data from Norway's oil and defense industries may have been stolen in what is feared to be one of the most extensive data espionage cases in the country's history, security officials said Thursday.

Technology / Internet

created Nov 17, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 1

Staggering surge in Android gadget viruses: Juniper

The arsenal of malicious code aimed at Android-powered gadgets has grown exponentially, with criminals hiding viruses in applications people download to devices, according to Juniper Networks.

Technology / Software

created Nov 16, 2011 | popularity 3 / 5 (3) | comments 1

Iran says Duqu malware under 'control'

Iran said on Sunday it had found a way to "control" the computer malware Duqu, which is similar to Stuxnet virus which in 2010 attacked its nuclear programme and infected more than 30,000 computers.

Technology / Internet

created Nov 13, 2011 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 1

Nearly two dozen PCs in Japanese government offices found to have Trojan horse viruses

Personal computers at the head office and local branch offices of the Japanese Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry have been infected with computer viruses and have repeatedly been accessed by servers abroad, according ...

Technology / Internet

created Nov 07, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Computer virus

A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without the permission or knowledge of the owner. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, adware, and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability. A true virus can only spread from one computer to another (in some form of executable code) when its host is taken to the target computer; for instance because a user sent it over a network or the Internet, or carried it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB drive. Viruses can increase their chances of spreading to other computers by infecting files on a network file system or a file system that is accessed by another computer.

The term "computer virus" is sometimes used as a catch-all phrase to include all types of malware. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware, and other malicious and unwanted software), including true viruses. Viruses are sometimes confused with computer worms and Trojan horses, which are technically different. A worm can exploit security vulnerabilities to spread itself to other computers without needing to be transferred as part of a host, and a Trojan horse is a program that appears harmless but has a hidden agenda. Worms and Trojans, like viruses, may cause harm to either a computer system's hosted data, functional performance, or networking throughput, when they are executed. Some viruses and other malware have symptoms noticeable to the computer user, but many are surreptitious.

Most personal computers are now connected to the Internet and to local area networks, facilitating the spread of malicious code. Today's viruses may also take advantage of network services such as the World Wide Web, e-mail, Instant Messaging, and file sharing systems to spread.

For more information about Computer virus, read the full article at Wikipedia.
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