DIFFERENT TYPES OF VIRUSES V Vital I Information R Resource U Under S Siege

A computer virus is a computer program that can replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. The term virus is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, including but not limited to adware and spyware programs that do not have a reproductive ability. Resident Viruses - Contain a replication module that is similar to the one that is employed by non-resident viruses. This module however, is not called by a finder module. Examples: rendex, CMJ, Meve & Mr. Klunky Direct Action Viruses - A file infector can be either a resident virus or direct action virus. A resident virus will install itself and hide somewhere in the memory of your computer. Example: Vienna Virus Overwrite Viruses - virus of these kind is characterized by the fact that it deletes the information contained in the files that it infects, rendering them partially or totally useless once they have been infected. Examples: Way, Trj. , Reboot, Trivial 88 D. Boot Sector Virus - a boot sector/boot block is a region of a hard disk, floppy disk, optical disk or other data storage that contains machine code to be loaded into Random Access Memory (RAM) by computer built-in firmware. Examples: Polyboot B. , AntiEXE Micro Virus - In computing terminology, a macro virus is a virus that is written in a macro language,

that is to say, a language built into a software application such as word processor. Examples: Relax, Melissa A. Bablas, 097M/Y2K Directory Virus - directory viruses change the path that indicates the location of a file. When you execute a program file with an extension. Example: Dir-2 Virus Polymorphic Viruses - encrypt or encode themselves in a different way (using different logarithms and encryption keys) everytime they infect a system. Example: Elkein, Marburg, Satan Bug, and Tuareg File Infector Viruses - this type of virus infects programs or executable files (files with .EXE or .COM extension). When one of these programs is run directly or indirectly, the virus is activated, producing the damaging effects it is programmed to carry out. Examples: Cleevix and Cascade Companion Viruses - can be considered as a type of file infector viruses like resident or direct action types. They are known as companion viruses because once they get into the system they accompany the other file that already exist. Examples: Stator, Asimov, 1539 and Terrax/069 Fat Viruses - the File Allocation Table or FAT is the part of a disk used to store all the information about the location of files, available space, unusable space, etc. Worms - a worm is a program very similar to virus; it has the ability to self-replicate and can lead to negative effects on your system. But they can be detected and eliminated by antiviruses. Examples: PSW Bugbear .B , Lovgate .F , Trile .C , Sobig .D , Mapson Trojans & Trojan Horses - another unsavoury breed of malicious code are Trojans or Trojan Horses, which unlike viruses do not reproduce by infecting other files, nor do they self-replicate like worms.

Logic Bombs - they are not considered viruses because they do not replicate. They are not even programs in their own right but rather camouflaged segment of other programs.