Top 10 Myths About Computer Viruses

Top 10 Myths About Computer Viruses

Viruses are largely misunderstood by most people —
including some computer professionals. Here are ten
common misconceptions about viruses, and the straight
unvarnished truth.

My Computer Stopped — I Must Have a Virus

If your computer stops, it could be because of a virus, but I
doubt it. Bottom line: It’s in a virus’s best interest to let the
computer continue to operate so the virus can continue to
use the computer to spread itself to other computers.

The “best” biological viruses in nature (what a concept) are
like this, too. If they kill their host too quickly, there goes their
opportunity to spread. A “better” biological virus — like a
computer virus — will perhaps just make its host sick, but
still well enough to keep spreading the virus.

That said, a virus writer could construct a virus that caused
severe data damage only after it had been on the computer
for an extended period of time. However, there is the risk (to
the virus writer) that the virus might be detected and eliminated
by antivirus software prior to the time it is programmed
to inflict damage.

If my computer stopped, I’d suspect hardware or Windows, in
that order. I keep my antivirus program, firewalls (hardware
and software), and antispyware software in good working
order, so I’d suspect a virus last of all.

I Have Antivirus Software, So
My Computer Can’t Get a Virus

Wrong answer. Even with antivirus software, several different
factors can still mean that a virus can get in and/or hide in
your computer:

• If you fail to keep your antivirus signatures up to date,
  then any new virus may be able to get inside your
  computer.

• If the “real-time” antivirus mechanism in your antivirus
  software is turned off or deactivated (this can and does
  happen in the real world from time to time), then the
  virus can walk right into your computer while the
  antivirus program is sleeping.

• A brand-new virus can get into your computer even if you
  keep your antivirus signatures up to date. Remember, it
  can take a few days or longer for the antivirus software
  companies to detect, capture, and dissect new viruses
  before they can update their signature files. Even then,
  your computer will be protected only after it downloads
  the new signature file from the antivirus software company.

• If you’ve been running your computer prior to getting
  antivirus software and you’ve put any files on it from any
  outside source — even if you’ve never connected to the
  Internet — there could already be a virus on your computer.
  If you don’t follow the installation procedures and
  skip the all-computer scan that most antivirus programs
  want to do when they’re first installed, it’s possible that a
  virus that you caught earlier is still be lurking in there.

All Viruses Are Destructive

I disagree with all statements that say all. (Well, most of them
anyway.) Okay, word games aside, some viruses exist only to
replicate themselves, and other than that, they do nothing
harmful.

But a purist would say that even these are harmful, because
they upset their computers’ feng shui. A system with even a
benign virus is tainted, and there could someday be some
unintended consequence of that.

Bottom line: This one’s arguable either way. Wanna have some
fun? Get a couple of cyber-philosophers in a room and watch
them argue this one for a couple of hours.

Viruses Can Damage
Computer Hardware

I know I’m going to get into trouble with this one. Some expert
out there is going to have a good counter-argument, but for
the most part, this fear is false.

Here’s how it looks from the virus writer’s perspective: Why
aim for the hardware when there’s so much brittle software
that can be damaged? Go for the easy target first. Besides, if
the virus hurts the hardware, how’s it going to spread itself
any further?

The purist would argue that a virus can damage computer
hardware by giving it instructions that make the system
misuse some part of itself (for example, by writing excessively
to the hard drive), but few such hardware-eating viruses have
been released. This is partly because there are so many different
types, makers, and formats of computer hardware that
one virus would be hard put to trash all of them. Besides,
nearly all computer hardware has built-in safeguards that prevent
any real damage.

But if you do get a virus and see sparks or flames shooting out
of your computer or keyboard, please catch it on video and
send it to me.

Viruses Can Hide inside
Data Files

Hmmmm, well, this is theoretically possible, but I have not heard
of such a virus yet. For now, viruses hide inside computer
programs — and in the places where programs normally hang
out (such as the boot sector of a floppy disk or a hard drive).

By definition, data files aren’t executable, and viruses have to
be executed. It’s safest to say that viruses hide only in executable
program files. But wait. . . .

Macro viruses are found in Word and Excel documents, so if
this is what you mean by data files, then you’re correct. Other
than this, generally viruses do not live inside data files.

Pictures Can Give You
Computer Viruses

Nope. Well, not yet. Pictures are just data files that are read
by special programs. But, someday, someone may come up
with a picture file format that accommodates the inclusion
of computer instructions — for whatever purpose someone
dreams up.

Are you thinking “macro virus” right now? So am I. Anytime
someone comes up with a way to store data that includes a
place for simple computer instructions (like Microsoft Word
and Excel do), then the risk of malicious instructions becomes
a real risk

I Need More Than One Antivirus
Software Program to Be Fully
Protected

No, and no. Here’s what I mean. As long as you stick with one of
the well-known brands of antivirus programs, you’ll find that they all develop new virus signatures at about the
same time. So if you’re thinking of switching from Brand A
to Brand B because you think that Brand A gets their
virus definitions out sooner, I personally wouldn’t waste my
time.

If you’re wondering whether this myth means having two different
antivirus programs on your computer, don’t even try it.
Because of the way they work, you can only have one antivirus
program running on your computer. Anymore, the antivirus
install programs won’t even install an antivirus program on a
computer if it even suspects that there is one there already. The
install program is trying to avoid a fight, and you should too.

You Can’t Get a Virus from
an Official Software CD

I wish. It’s rare, but it has happened, and it very well could
happen again. The big software companies have very good
and almost byte-tight procedures that eliminate the possibility
that a virus can sneak into a software development lab and
from there to a CD master.

It can happen. I wouldn’t laugh at you if you scanned CDs for
viruses before installing software from them. Promise.

Antivirus Software Companies
Create Viruses

To put it kindly, I don’t think so. Do the math: The antivirus
companies have enough business trying to keep up with
viruses “in the wild” that they’d be idiots to risk causing trouble
for themselves.

This sounds as crazy as Microsoft and Intel being in cahoots
to keep us buying newer computers! Makes an entertaining
(if trite) premise for a movie, maybe; doesn’t hold up so well
in reality.

Some Countries Sponsor Virus
Writers and Hackers

Gotcha. This one’s actually true. Three or four countries do have state-sponsored hackers. I shouldn’t name these countries by name, but many of them are known to be hostile to the United States in other ways. Some of these same countries sponsor hackers in order to give us a little trouble.

Official attempts to disrupt and break into foreign information
technology go back at least as far as the British code breakers
who figured out the Nazi “Enigma” encryption machine in
World War II. The adversaries have changed over the years,
but their struggle has kept pace with the development of
cyberspace, and it continues today.