viruses

1 definition found

viruses - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  virus
  computer virus
  viruses
  
     <security> (By analogy with biological viruses, via SF) A
     program or piece of code written by a cracker that "infects"
     one or more other programs by embedding a copy of itself in
     them, so that they become Trojan horses.  When these
     programs are executed, the embedded virus is executed too,
     thus propagating the "infection".  This normally happens
     invisibly to the user.
  
     A virus has an "engine" - code that enables it to propagate
     and optionally a "payload" - what it does apart from
     propagating.  It needs a "host" - the particular hardware and
     software environment on which it can run and a "trigger" - the
     event that starts it running.
  
     Unlike a worm, a virus cannot infect other computers without
     assistance.  It is propagated by vectors such as humans
     trading programs with their friends (see SEX).  The virus
     may do nothing but propagate itself and then allow the program
     to run normally.  Usually, however, after propagating silently
     for a while, it starts doing things like writing "cute"
     messages on the terminal or playing strange tricks with the
     display (some viruses include display hacks).  Viruses
     written by particularly antisocial crackers may do
     irreversible damage, like deleting files.
  
     By the 1990s, viruses had become a serious problem, especially
     among IBM PC and Macintosh users (the lack of security on
     these machines enables viruses to spread easily, even
     infecting the operating system).  The production of special
     antivirus software has become an industry, and a number of
     exaggerated media reports have caused outbreaks of near
     hysteria among users.  Many lusers tend to blame
     *everything* that doesn't work as they had expected on virus
     attacks.  Accordingly, this sense of "virus" has passed into
     popular usage where it is often incorrectly used for a worm
     or Trojan horse.
  
     See boot virus, phage.  Compare back door.  See also
     Unix conspiracy.
  
     [Jargon File]
  
     (2003-06-20)