The Evolution of the Computer Virus IntroductionIn simple terms a virus can be defined as unwanted software that executes arbitrary code on systems. It works as a small software program, which has the ability to leverage other software programs to transport itself[1]. The terms virus and malware are used interchangeably, however, in technical terms, viruses are a subset of malware, as are Trojans, worms, and rootkits. The name "computer virus" actually comes from its biological counterpart due to their closeness in properties. Similar to how biological viruses work, a computer virus must use another program to exploit some other program to start working. Hence, this main characteristic trait results in the name “Computer “Virus”.1. Why is computer virus created? Few researchers believe in creating viruses to keep security inaccuracies updated and to find vulnerabilities in antivirus software. This helps them remain aware and informed of those who write viruses with the main purpose of causing damage.[2]The creation of a virus involves not only the coding phase but also a testing phase, in order to verify the ability of the virus to spread. Then the attack phase of the virus must also be developed. 'Different intentions motivate people to write these viruses. Few of the intentions behind programmers to develop these viruses are"[1] –• Few programmers find it as a sense of thrill and excitement. These people can be compared to strippers or thugs but who are familiar with computer programming skills. • Few programmers' inadvertent damage, for example: Robert Tappan Morris never expected the worm to develop... middle of paper... fixers. For example: the 2003 "Lirva" worm attempted to download " BackOrifice" which was a remote access software package[7].4.1 Recent Trends• Data-Stealing Payloads: Traditionally, viruses were not intended to cause very destructible payloads, although a few viruses resulted in Denial of Service (DoS) attacks However, as criminal activities on the Internet have evolved, viruses have developed to inculcate keyloggers and password stealing capabilities within them. For example, the 2003 "Lirva" worm had the ability to store key vaults in a separate encrypted file. • Fast and Furious WormsThis is a rapidly growing new trend among viruses to target a single vulnerability rather than multiple vulnerabilities. The result is saturation of the target population. For example, the Code Red Worm at its peak had begun affecting more than 2,000 hosts every minute