Saving the world

The most dangerous email viruses

Email viruses remain one of the most popular means of attack for cyber criminals, with new variants appearing on a regular basis. While the methods used to distribute these malicious payloads may vary, the end goal is always the same: to infect as many computers as possible in order to steal sensitive information or wreak havoc on the victim’s system.

While it’s impossible to list every single email virus that has ever been created, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most dangerous and destructive examples in an effort to help raise awareness about this ever-present threat.

1. Melissa

Named after a topless dancer in Florida, Melissa was one of the first email viruses to gain widespread attention. Created in 1999 by David L. Smith, the virus spread rapidly by emailing itself to the first 50 contacts in the victim’s Microsoft Outlook address book.

When the email containing the virus was opened, the Melissa payload would infect the victim’s computer and then proceed to do the same to the contacts in their address book. In addition to propagating itself, the virus also had the ability to disable antivirus software and email servers in a bid to further its spread.

While Melissa caused widespread panic when it was first released, the damage it caused was relatively minor compared to other email viruses that would follow. Still, it serves as a reminder of the potential destructive power of these malicious payloads.

2. ILOVEYOU

Also known as the Love Bug, ILOVEYOU was a computer worm that appeared in 2000 and caused an estimated $5.5 billion in damage worldwide. Like Melissa, the Love Bug spread itself by emailing copies of itself to contacts in the victim’s address book.

However, the email containing the Love Bug virus masqueraded as a love letter, with the subject line “ILOVEYOU” and the message “kindly check the attached LOVELETTER coming from me.” Tricked into thinking the email was harmless, many recipients opened the attachment, triggering the virus.

Once executed, the Love Bug would overwrite important files on the victim’s computer, including system files and applications. It would also send itself out to everyone in the victim’s Microsoft Outlook address book, making it one of the most virulent email viruses of all time.

3. SoBig

First appearing in 2003, SoBig was a computer worm that, like the Love Bug, spread itself via email. However, instead of posing as a love letter, SoBig posed as a business-related email, with a subject line that often read “Your resume” or “Details of your job application.”

While the email itself appeared to be benign, it contained an attachment that, when opened, would install the SoBig virus on the victim’s computer. Once it had infiltrated the system, the virus would proceed to email itself to everyone in the victim’s address book.

In addition to spreading itself, SoBig also had the ability to disable antivirus software and firewalls, as well as delete important system files. This made it a particularly dangerous threat, and one that caused an estimated $37 billion in damage worldwide.

4. Mydoom

First appearing in 2004, Mydoom was a computer worm that, like SoBig, spread itself via email. However, instead of posing as a business-related email, Mydoom posed as an error message from Microsoft, with a subject line that read “Error in .”

As was the case with SoBig, the email itself appeared to be benign, but it contained an attachment that, when opened, would install the Mydoom virus on the victim’s computer. Once it had infiltrated the system, the virus would proceed to email itself to everyone in the victim’s address book.

In addition to spreading itself, Mydoom also had the ability to disable antivirus software and firewalls, as well as delete important system files. This made it a particularly dangerous threat, and one that caused an estimated $38 billion in damage worldwide.

5. Storm Worm

First appearing in 2007, the Storm Worm is a computer worm that, like Mydoom, spread itself via email. However, instead of posing as an error message from Microsoft, the Storm Worm posed as a news article, with a subject line that read “230 dead as storm batters Europe.”

As was the case with Mydoom, the email itself appeared to be benign, but it contained an attachment that, when opened, would install the Storm Worm virus on the victim’s computer. Once it had infiltrated the system, the virus would proceed to email itself to everyone in the victim’s address book.

In addition to spreading itself, the Storm Worm also had the ability to disable antivirus software and firewalls, as well as delete important system files. This made it a particularly dangerous threat, and one that caused an estimated $8 billion in damage worldwide.

6. Cryptolocker

First appearing in 2013, Cryptolocker is a type of malware known as ransomware. Unlike other types of malware, which are designed to cause damage or steal information, ransomware is designed to encrypt the victim’s files and then demand a ransom be paid in order to decrypt them.

In the case of Cryptolocker, the malware would encrypt the victim’s files using a strong encryption algorithm, making them inaccessible to the victim. The attacker would then demand a ransom be paid in order to decrypt the files, often using Bitcoin as the payment method.

If the ransom wasn’t paid, the victim would be left with no way to access their files. This made Cryptolocker a particularly dangerous type of malware, and one that caused an estimated $3 billion in damage worldwide.

7. WannaCry

First appearing in 2017, WannaCry is a type of ransomware that, like Cryptolocker, is designed to encrypt the victim’s files and then demand a ransom be paid in order to decrypt them. However, unlike Cryptolocker, which required the victim to manually execute the malware, WannaCry used a flaw in Microsoft Windows to automatically spread itself.

Once it had infected a computer, WannaCry would proceed to scan the victim’s network for other vulnerable computers and then infect them. This allows the malware to spread quickly and easily, making it a particularly dangerous threat.

In addition to encrypting the victim’s files, WannaCry also had the ability to delete them. This made it a particularly destructive piece of ransomware, and one that caused an estimated $4 billion in damage worldwide.

8. Emotet

First appearing in 2014, Emotet is a type of malware known as a trojan. Unlike other types of malware, which are designed to cause damage or steal information, trojans are designed to give the attacker remote access to the victim’s computer.

This allows the attacker to not only view the victim’s files, but also to modify or delete them. In addition, the attacker can also use the victim’s computer to launch attacks against other computers on the network.

While Emotet is not as well-known as some of the other malware on this list, it is considered to be one of the most dangerous. This is due to its ability to spread quickly and easily, as well as its destructive payload.

9. Zeus

First appearing in 2007, Zeus is a type of malware known as a banker trojan. Unlike other types of malware, which are designed to cause damage or steal information, banker trojans are designed to steal banking information from the victim.

This allows the attacker to not only view the victim’s banking information, but also to modify or delete it. In addition, the attacker can also use the victim’s computer to launch attacks against other computers on the network.

While Zeus is not as well-known as some of the other malware on this list, it is considered to be one of the most dangerous. This is due to its ability to spread quickly and easily, as well as its destructive payload.

10. Locky

First appearing in 2016, Locky is a type of ransomware that, like Cryptolocker, is designed to encrypt the victim’s files and then demand a ransom be paid in order to decrypt them. However, unlike Cryptolocker, which required the victim to manually execute the malware, Locky used a flaw in Microsoft Office to automatically spread itself.

Once it had infected a computer, Locky would proceed to encrypt the victim’s files. The attacker would then demand a ransom be paid in order to decrypt the files, often using Bitcoin as the payment method.

If the ransom wasn’t paid, the victim would be left with no way to access their files. This made Locky a particularly dangerous type of malware, and one that caused an estimated $1 billion in damage worldwide.

Email viruses remain a constant and ever-present threat. While the methods used to distribute these malicious payloads may vary, the end goal is always the same: to infect as many computers as possible in order to steal sensitive information or wreak havoc on the victim’s system.

While it’s impossible to list every single email virus that has ever been created, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most dangerous and destructive examples in an effort to help raise awareness about this ever-present threat.View it

The most dangerous video viruses

As anyone who’s watched a horror movie knows, viruses are dangerous. They can cause all sorts of issues, from the common cold to deadly diseases. But did you know that there are also viruses that can infect your computer?

Just like the viruses that affect our health, these computer viruses can wreak havoc on our systems, destroying files, corrupting data, and even causing our computers to crash. And, if we’re not careful, they can spread from our computers to other devices – like our smartphones and tablets.

While there are many different types of computer viruses, some are more dangerous than others. In this article, we’ll take a look at the most dangerous video viruses and what you can do to protect your devices from them.

The first, and perhaps most well-known, dangerous video virus is the “ILOVEYOU” virus. This virus was first released in 2000 and it quickly spread around the world, infecting millions of computers. The virus was spread through email attachments and, once opened, it would send itself to everyone in the victim’s address book. The ILOVEYOU virus would then corrupt files on the victim’s computer, making it unusable.

Another dangerous virus is the ” Blaster” virus. This virus was first released in 2003 and, like the ILOVEYOU virus, it was spread through email attachments. However, instead of corrupting files, the Blaster virus would allow remote access to the victim’s computer. This meant that the attacker could install programs, view files, and even delete data.

The Blaster virus was particularly dangerous because it could spread quickly and easily. In fact, it’s estimated that, at its peak, the virus was infecting around 1 million computers per day.

The “Sobig” virus is another dangerous virus that was first released in 2003. This virus was spread through email attachments and, once opened, it would download a file from the internet that would install the virus on the victim’s computer. The Sobig virus would then send itself to everyone in the victim’s address book and continue to spread.

Like the Blaster virus, the Sobig virus was particularly dangerous because it could spread quickly and easily. In fact, the Sobig virus is thought to be responsible for the largest email outbreak in history.

The “Mydoom” virus is yet another dangerous virus that was released in 2004. This virus was spread through email attachments and, once opened, it would install a program that would allow the attacker to take control of the victim’s computer. The Mydoom virus would then send itself to everyone in the victim’s address book and continue to spread.

The Mydoom virus was particularly dangerous because it was able to spread so quickly. In fact, at its peak, the Mydoom virus was responsible for around 25% of all email traffic.

The “Storm” virus is a virus that was first released in 2007. This virus was spread through email attachments and, once opened, it would install a program that would allow the attacker to take control of the victim’s computer. The Storm virus would then send itself to everyone in the victim’s address book and continue to spread.

The Storm virus was particularly dangerous because it was able to spread so quickly. In fact, at its peak, the Storm virus was responsible for around 5% of all email traffic.

These are just a few of the most dangerous video viruses. There are many other, less well-known, viruses that can also cause serious damage to your computer. So, if you receive an email with an attachment, be sure to check it carefully before opening it. And, if you’re ever unsure, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and delete it.

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