Polymorphic & Cloning Computer Viruses
The generation of today is growing up in a fast-growing, high-tech world
which allows us to do the impossibilities of yesterday. With the help of modern
telecommunications and the rapid growth of the personal computer in the average
household we are able to talk to and share information with people from all
sides of the globe. However, this vast amount of information transport has
opened the doors for the computer "virus" of the future to flourish. As time
passes on, so-called "viruses" are becoming more and more adaptive and dangerous.
No longer are viruses merely a rarity among computer users and no longer are
they mere nuisances. Since many people depend on the data in their computer
every day to make a living, the risk of catastrophe has increased tenfold. The
people who create computer viruses are now becoming much more adept at making
them harder to detect and eliminate. These so-called "polymorphic" viruses are
able to clone themselves and change themselves as they need to avoid detection.
This form of "smart viruses" allows the virus to have a form of artificial
intelligence. To understand the way a computer virus works and spreads, first
one must understand some basics about computers, specifically pertaining to the
way it stores data. Because of the severity of the damage that these viruses may
cause, it is important to understand how anti-virus programs go about detecting
them and how the virus itself adapts to meet the ever changing conditions of a
computer. In much the same way as animals, computer viruses live in complex
environments. In this case, the computer acts as a form of ecosystem in which
the virus functions. In order for someone to adequately understand how and why
the virus adapts itself, it must first be shown how the environment is
constantly changing and how the virus can interact and deal with these changes.
There are many forms of computers in the world; however, for simplicity's sake,
this... [continues]
The generation of today is growing up in a fast-growing, high-tech world
which allows us to do the impossibilities of yesterday. With the help of modern
telecommunications and the rapid growth of the personal computer in the average
household we are able to talk to and share information with people from all
sides of the globe. However, this vast amount of information transport has
opened the doors for the computer "virus" of the future to flourish. As time
passes on, so-called "viruses" are becoming more and more adaptive and dangerous.
No longer are viruses merely a rarity among computer users and no longer are
they mere nuisances. Since many people depend on the data in their computer
every day to make a living, the risk of catastrophe has increased tenfold. The
people who create computer viruses are now becoming much more adept at making
them harder to detect and eliminate. These so-called "polymorphic" viruses are
able to clone themselves and change themselves as they need to avoid detection.
This form of "smart viruses" allows the virus to have a form of artificial
intelligence. To understand the way a computer virus works and spreads, first
one must understand some basics about computers, specifically pertaining to the
way it stores data. Because of the severity of the damage that these viruses may
cause, it is important to understand how anti-virus programs go about detecting
them and how the virus itself adapts to meet the ever changing conditions of a
computer. In much the same way as animals, computer viruses live in complex
environments. In this case, the computer acts as a form of ecosystem in which
the virus functions. In order for someone to adequately understand how and why
the virus adapts itself, it must first be shown how the environment is
constantly changing and how the virus can interact and deal with these changes.
There are many forms of computers in the world; however, for simplicity's sake,
this... [continues]
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