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10 Most destructive computer viruses of all time

1. Michelangelo

The Michelangelo virus was first discovered in 1992 and quickly became one of the most destructive computer viruses of all time. This virus was designed to encrypt all the files on a hard drive and then display a message demanding a ransom be paid in order to decrypt the files. Unfortunately, even if the ransom was paid, there was no guarantee that the files would be successfully decrypted. In many cases, the files remained encrypted and unusable, causing extreme financial losses for businesses and individuals who were hit by this virus.

2. CIH

The CIH virus, also known as the Chernobyl virus, is another destructive computer virus that was first discovered in 1998. This virus was designed to overwrite the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start up the affected computer. This virus was particularly destructive because it affected not only personal computers, but also servers and other mission-critical systems. The CIH virus caused billions of dollars in damage and resulted in the loss of many important files and data.

3. Melissa

The Melissa virus was first discovered in 1999 and quickly spread via email attachments. This virus would infect a computer and then send out emails to the first 50 addresses in the victim’s address book. These emails would contain a malicious attachment that, when opened, would infect the recipient’s computer with the virus. The Melissa virus caused widespread havoc and resulted in billions of dollars in damages.

4. ILOVEYOU

The ILOVEYOU virus is another destructive computer virus that was spread via email attachments. This virus was first discovered in 2000 and quickly spread around the world, causing billions of dollars in damage. The ILOVEYOU virus would infect a computer and then send out emails to the victim’s entire address book. These emails would contain a message that appeared to be from the victim, expressing love and affection. However, the email would also contain a malicious attachment that, when opened, would install the virus on the recipient’s computer.

5. Code Red

The Code Red virus was first discovered in 2001 and quickly spread around the world, causing billions of dollars in damage. This virus would infect a computer and then proceed to replicate itself, infecting other computers on the same network. The Code Red virus was particularly destructive because it caused computers to crash and became a self-propagating denial of service attack.

6. Nimda

The Nimda virus was first discovered in 2001 and quickly became one of the most destructive computer viruses of all time. This virus would infect a computer and then replicate itself, infecting other computers on the same network. The Nimda virus was particularly destructive because it caused computers to crash and became a self-propagating denial of service attack.

7. Sasser

The Sasser virus was first discovered in 2004 and quickly became one of the most destructive computer viruses of all time. This virus would infect a computer and then exploit a flaw in the Windows operating system in order to spread itself and infect other computers. The Sasser virus caused widespread havoc and resulted in billions of dollars in damages.

8. Mydoom

The Mydoom virus was first discovered in 2004 and quickly became one of the most destructive computer viruses of all time. This virus was designed to infect a computer and then allow remote access to the affected machine. This allowed attackers to take control of the infected computers and use them to launch denial of service attacks or to send out spam emails. The Mydoom virus caused widespread havoc and resulted in billions of dollars in damages.

9. WannaCry

The WannaCry virus was first discovered in 2017 and quickly became one of the most destructive computer viruses of all time. This virus would encrypt all the files on an infected computer and then display a message demanding a ransom be paid in order to decrypt the files. Unfortunately, even if the ransom was paid, there was no guarantee that the files would be successfully decrypted. In many cases, the files remained encrypted and unusable, causing extreme financial losses for businesses and individuals who were hit by this virus.

10.NotPetya

The NotPetya virus was first discovered in 2017 and quickly became one of the most destructive computer viruses of all time. This virus was designed to encrypt all the files on a hard drive and then display a message demanding a ransom be paid in order to decrypt the files. Unfortunately, even if the ransom was paid, there was no guarantee that the files would be successfully decrypted. In many cases, the files remained encrypted and unusable, causing extreme financial losses for businesses and individuals who were hit by this virus..Click here for more info

The dangers of downloading files from the internet

When you download a file from the internet, you are essentially taking that file and copying it from one computer to another. This process is relatively simple and straightforward, but it comes with some risks.

For starters, when you download a file from the internet, you are usually doing so from an unknown or untrusted source. This means that the file could be infected with malware, which could infect your computer. Additionally, the file could contain sensitive information that you don’t want to share with others, such as your financial information or passwords.

Even if the file isn’t infected with malware or sensitive information, downloading files from the internet can still be risky. This is because many files on the internet are copyrighted, and downloading them without the permission of the copyright holder is illegal. If you are caught downloading copyrighted material, you could be fined or even jailed.

So, what can you do to protect yourself from the risks associated with downloading files from the internet? The best solution is to only download files from trusted sources, such as websites that you know and trust. Additionally, you should always scan any file that you download with a anti-virus program before opening it. And, if you’re ever in doubt about a file, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and not download it.

Visit malwarezero.org to learn more about most dangerous computer virus. Disclaimer: We used this website as a reference for this blog post.