What is the most deadly computer virus?
There are many opinion as to what the most deadly computer virus is, with arguments for a number of different viruses. Here, we will take a look at three of the most commonly cited contenders for the most deadly virus: Mydoom, Conficker and ransomware.
Mydoom, also known as Novarg, is a worm that was first discovered in January of 2004. It is considered to be one of the fastest-spreading worms of all time, and is estimated to have caused over $38 billion in damages. Mydoom is typically spread via email attachments, and once it has infected a system, it will disable a number of security features and allow the machine to be remotely controlled. It will also install a backdoor which can be used to launch further attacks. Mydoom is particularly dangerous as it allows attackers to gain control of a system without the owner’s knowledge.
Conficker, also known as Downadup, is a worm that was first discovered in November of 2008. It is estimated to have infected over 10 million computers, and is considered to be one of the most sophisticated pieces of malware ever created. Conficker is typically spread via network drives or removable media, and once it has infected a system, it will disable a number of security features and allow the machine to be remotely controlled. It will also install a backdoor which can be used to launch further attacks. Conficker is particularly dangerous as it targets unpatched systems and can spread very quickly through networks.
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts a user’s files and demands a ransom be paid in order to decrypt them. Ransomware is typically spread via email attachments or malicious websites, and once it has infected a system, it will encrypt the user’s files and display a message demanding a ransom be paid in order to decrypt them. Ransomware is particularly dangerous as it can cause major financial damage to an individual or organization, and there is no guaranteed way to decrypt the files without paying the ransom.
So, which is the most deadly computer virus? All three of these viruses are extremely dangerous and have caused billions of dollars in damages. However, ransomware is arguably the most deadly as it can cause major financial damage to an individual or organization, and there is no guaranteed way to decrypt the files without paying the ransom.
What is the most expensive computer virus?
As of May 2019, the most expensive computer virus is estimated to be WannaCry, which caused approximately $4 billion in damages. The ransomware virus encrypted data on infected computers and demanded a ransom payment in Bitcoin in order to regain access. WannaCry was particularly damaging because it exploit a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows that had been previously identified by the United States National Security Agency.
Visit malwarezero.org to learn more about most deadly computer virus. Disclaimer: We used this website as a reference for this blog post.