The development of large-scale complex campus networks needs to be
concerned with network security so that the campus network remains stable. In today’s information age, the pool of information available continues to expand logarithmically. Digital information has transformed the way we create, transmit, store, process and manipulate information. All the electronic resources and information are being stored in computer systems for their retrieval and dissemination. In todays highly computer dependent environment, computer security is a major concern. The security of computers is routinely threatened by malicious programs such as computer viruses, Trojan horses, worms and the like. Once computers are infected these programs may have the ability to damage expensive computer hardware, destroy valuable data, tie up limited computing resources or compromise the security of sensitive information. People accumulate data from many sources using various available electronic storage devices such as USB drives, CD/DVD-ROMs, etc. and then store the data on their computers. Many people are not fully computer literate and may be unaware of the latest virus threats. When users move or copy data from computer to computer viruses can be transmitted via computer systems, an internal network or the internet. Once a computer system gets infected with a virus, the data stored in it becomes insecure and the system becomes a source of infection to other systems during the transfer of data. Computer viruses and related malware a computer virus is a computer program that can replicate itself and infect a computer. The term “computer virus” is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, adware, and spyware programs that do not have this reproductive ability. Malware includes worms, Trojans, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crime ware, and other unwanted software, including true viruses. Viruses are sometimes confused with computer worms and Trojan horses, which are technically different. A worm can exploit security vulnerabilities to spread itself to other computers through networks, while a Trojan is a program that appears harmless but hides malicious functions. Worms and Trojans, like viruses, may harm a computer system’s data or performance. A true virus can only spread from one computer to another(in some form of executable code) when its host is taken to the target computer; for instance because a user sent it over network or the internet, or carried it on a removable medium such as atopy disk, CD, DVD, or USB drive. Transmission of viruses can increase by infecting files on a network file system or a file system that is accessed by another computer. Computer viruses were labeled as viruses because of the fact that they are similar to biological viruses in the aspect of multiplying themselves. Similarly they find a host and then infect and multiply themselves. However, in both cases there must be cause in order for the problem to begin. Some viruses and other malware have symptoms noticeable to the computer user, but many are surreptitious and go unnoticed. There are different types of computer viruses and each type has their own unique features that differentiate themselves from one another. Among the different types of viruses the most familiar ones are computer- based viruses and internet-based viruses. There are many subtle and obvious distinctions that set the different types of computer viruses apart from one another. Some of the more typical viruses are described below. “Resident viruses” exist in a computer’s volatile memory (RAM).From there it can overcome and interrupt all of the operations executed by the system like corrupting files and programs that are opened, closed, copied, renamed, etc. Examples of this type of virus include Randel, CMJ, Move, and Mr. Clunky.