What is the most dangerous computer virus in the world?
There are many computer viruses that can cause serious harm to your computer, but some are more dangerous than others. The most dangerous computer virus in the world is the WannaCry ransomware virus. This virus encrypts all of the files on your computer and demands a ransom in order to decrypt them. This virus has caused millions of dollars in damage and has even resulted in death in some cases. If you are infected with this virus, you should contact a professional computer technician immediately.
What are the top 10 most dangerous computer viruses in the world?
1. ILOVEYOU
This computer virus appeared in May 2000 and quickly spread across the globe, infecting more than 10 million computers in just 10 days. The virus arrived in the form of an email with the subject line “I Love You” and the message “here is a love letter for you”. The attachment to the email was a file called “LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs” which, when opened, would send the virus to everyone in the victim’s Microsoft Outlook contact list. The ILOVEYOU virus caused an estimated $5.5 billion in damages.
2. Code Red
The Code Red virus was discovered on July 13th, 2001 and within 24 hours had infected more than 359,000 systems running Microsoft IIS web servers. The virus was spread by exploiting a buffer overflow vulnerability in the server software and once a system was infected, the virus would launch a Denial of Service attack against the White House website. Code Red caused an estimated $2 billion in damages.
3. Nimda
Nimda emerged on September 18th, 2001, just one day after the Code Red virus. Nimda spread even faster than Code Red, infecting more than 1 million systems within the first 5 hours. The virus spread via email attachments, open network shares, and by exploiting several vulnerabilities in Microsoft software. Nimda caused an estimated $13 billion in damages.
4. SQL Slammer
SQL Slammer was a very small computer virus that caused a great deal of havoc. The virus was only 376 bytes in size but was able to exploit a vulnerability in Microsoft SQL Server and SQL Server 2000, causing a Denial of Service attack. The virus was first discovered on January 25th, 2003 and within 10 minutes had infected more than 75,000 systems. The SQL Slammer virus caused an estimated $1 billion in damages.
5. Sasser
Sasser was a worm that spread via a vulnerability in the Windows LSASS (Local Security Authority Subsystem Service). The worm was first discovered on April 30th, 2004 and within 10 days had infected more than 1 million systems. Sasser caused major disruptions to global businesses, with Deutsche Bahn (the German railway company) and British Airways amongst the most affected. The Sasser worm caused an estimated $18 billion in damages.
6. MyDoom
MyDoom was a worm that was first discovered on January 26th, 2004. The worm spread via email attachments and by scanning for vulnerable computers on the internet. Once a system was infected, the worm would launch a Denial of Service attack against the website of SCO Group, a software company. MyDoom caused an estimated $38 billion in damages and is the most damaging virus of all time.
7. Conficker
Conficker was a worm that spread via a vulnerability in the Windows operating system. The worm was first discovered in November 2008 and by December 2008 had infected more than 10 million systems. The worm would disable security software on an infected system and then use the system to spread itself to other computers. Conficker caused an estimated $9.1 billion in damages.
8. Stuxnet
Stuxnet was a computer virus that was specifically designed to target industrial control systems. The virus was first discovered in June 2010 and is believed to have been created by the United States and Israel as a weapon to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. The virus spread via USB sticks and was able to infect systems without the need for user interaction. Stuxnet caused an estimated $2 billion in damages.
9. WannaCry
WannaCry was a ransomware worm that spread rapidly across the globe, causing widespread panic. The worm first appeared on May 12th, 2017 and within a few days had infected more than 230,000 systems in 150 countries. The worm exploit a vulnerability in the Windows operating system and encrypted files on the infected system, demanding a ransom be paid in order to decrypt the files. WannaCry caused an estimated $4 billion in damages.
10. NotPetya
NotPetya is a ransomware virus that was first discovered in June 2017. The virus spread via a vulnerability in the Ukrainian software company MeDoc. Once a system was infected, the virus would encrypt the hard drive and demand a ransom be paid in order to decrypt the files. NotPetya caused an estimated $10 billion in damages and is the most damaging virus of all time.
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