Truth and Lies About the Computer Virus
Walk into any computer store today and there will be at least twenty or
thirty computer virus programs. From the looks of it computer viruses have
gotten out of hand and so has the business of stopping it. The computer user
must cut through the media hype of apocoliptic viruses and shareware programs
and discover the real facts.
Before we even start the journey of exploring the computer virus we must
first eliminate all the "fluff." The computer user needs to understand how
information about viruses reaches the public. Someone creates the virus and
then infects at least one computer. The virus crashes or ruins the infected
computer. A anti-virus company obtains a copy of the virus and studies it. The
anti-virus company makes an "unbiased" decision about the virus and then
disclose their findings to the public. The problem with the current system is
that there are no checks and balances. If the anti-virus company wants to make
viruses seem worse all they have to do is distort the truth. There is no
organization that certifies wheather or not a virus is real. Even more
potentially harmful is that the anti-virus companies could write viruses in
order to sell their programs. Software companies have and do distort the truth
about viruses. "Antivirus firms tend to count even the most insignificant
variations of viruses for advertising purposes. When the Marijuana virus first
appeared, for example, it contained the word "legalise," but a miscreant later
modified it to read "legalize." Any program which detects the original virus can
detect the version with one letter changed -- but antivirus companies often
count them as "two" viruses. These obscure differentiations quickly add up."
http://www.kumite.com/myths/myth005.htm Incidentally the Marijuana virus is also
called the "Stoned" virus there by making it yet another on the list of viruses
that companies protect your computer against.
I went to the McAfee... [continues]
Walk into any computer store today and there will be at least twenty or
thirty computer virus programs. From the looks of it computer viruses have
gotten out of hand and so has the business of stopping it. The computer user
must cut through the media hype of apocoliptic viruses and shareware programs
and discover the real facts.
Before we even start the journey of exploring the computer virus we must
first eliminate all the "fluff." The computer user needs to understand how
information about viruses reaches the public. Someone creates the virus and
then infects at least one computer. The virus crashes or ruins the infected
computer. A anti-virus company obtains a copy of the virus and studies it. The
anti-virus company makes an "unbiased" decision about the virus and then
disclose their findings to the public. The problem with the current system is
that there are no checks and balances. If the anti-virus company wants to make
viruses seem worse all they have to do is distort the truth. There is no
organization that certifies wheather or not a virus is real. Even more
potentially harmful is that the anti-virus companies could write viruses in
order to sell their programs. Software companies have and do distort the truth
about viruses. "Antivirus firms tend to count even the most insignificant
variations of viruses for advertising purposes. When the Marijuana virus first
appeared, for example, it contained the word "legalise," but a miscreant later
modified it to read "legalize." Any program which detects the original virus can
detect the version with one letter changed -- but antivirus companies often
count them as "two" viruses. These obscure differentiations quickly add up."
http://www.kumite.com/myths/myth005.htm Incidentally the Marijuana virus is also
called the "Stoned" virus there by making it yet another on the list of viruses
that companies protect your computer against.
I went to the McAfee... [continues]
Cite This Essay
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"Truth and Lies About the Computer Virus." StudyMode.com. 10, 1999. Accessed 10, 1999. http://www.studymode.com/essays/Truth-Lies-About-Computer-Virus-875.html.
