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The worst computer viruses of all time
Thu Mar 20, 2008 12:11PM EDT
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Buzz up!on Yahoo!If you haven't experienced a computer virus yet, just wait -- you probably will.

Fortunately, you missed the real heyday of computer viruses when anti-virus software wasn't very widely used, and virus attacks caused millions of dollars in damages overnight. Today's viruses can still be nightmarish, but for the average user, cleanup is considerably easier than it was just a few years ago, when the only solution in many cases was reformatting your hard drive and starting from scratch (and even that didn't do the trick sometimes).

So join me on a trip down memory lane as we revisit some of the worst viruses of all time and count our blessings that our computers are still up and running despite it all. (Though, please note, "worst" is a matter of considerable debate in the security industry, as the number of infected machines and amount of financial loss is always estimated. If you think another virus was worse than these, please post it in the comments to remind us!)

The worst viruses of all time

Brain, 1986
It all started here: Brain was the first "real" virus ever discovered, back in 1986. Brain didn't really hurt your PC, but it launched the malware industry with a bang and gave bad ideas to over 100,000 virus creators for the next 2 decades.

Michelangelo, 1991
The worst MS-DOS virus ever, Michelangelo attacked the boot sector of your hard drive and any floppy drive inserted into the computer, which caused the virus to spread rapidly. After spreading quietly for months, the virus "activated" on March 6, and promptly started destroying data on tens of thousands of computers.

Melissa, 1999
Technically a worm, Melissa (named after a stripper) collapsed entire email systems by causing computers to send mountains of messages to each other. The author of the virus was eventually caught and sentenced to 20 months in prison.

ILOVEYOU, 2000
This was notable for being one of the first viruses to trick users into opening a file, which in this case claimed to be a love letter sent to the recipient. In reality, the file was a VBS script that sent mountains of junk mail and deleted thousands of files. The results were terribly devastating- one estimate holds that 10 percent of all computers were affected, to a cost of $5.5 billion. It remains perhaps the worst worm of all time.

Code Red, 2001
An early "blended threat" attack, Code Red targeted Web servers instead of user machines, defacing websites and later launching denial-of-service attacks on a host of IP addresses, including those of the White House.

Nimda, 2001
Built on Code Red's attack system of finding multiple avenues into machines (email, websites, network connections, and others), Nimda infected both Web servers and user machines. It found paths into computers so effectively that, 22 minutes after it was released, it became the Internet's most widespread virus at the time.

Klez, 2001
An email virus, Klez pioneered spoofing the "From" field in email messages it sent, making it impossible to tell if Bill Gates did or did not really send you that information about getting free money.

Slammer, 2003
Another fast spreader, this worm infected about 75,000 systems in just 10 minutes, slowing the Internet to a crawl (much like Code Red) and shutting down thousands of websites.

MyDoom, 2004
Notable as the fastest-spreading email virus of all time, MyDoom infected computers so they would, in turn, send even more junk mail. In a strange twist, MyDoom was also used to attack the website of SCO Group, a very unpopular company that was suing other companies over its code being used in Linux distributions.

Storm, 2007
The worst recent virus, Storm spread via email spam with a fake attachment and ultimately infected up to 10 million computers, causing them to join its zombie botnet.

Thanks to Symantec for helping to compile this list.

Credit:
http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/null/87095

I just found this today, so I'm passing it along.

Thank you ... Mirror. .. along with every body else who replyed here.

Thank you & I will.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks every body / one... for wishing me a Happy Birthday.

.. about that cake going every where.

Besides just another day or Wednesday.. it's also my birthday.

Not feeling the greatest because I've been sick since like Sunday or so. Not to mention I've been dealing with a shoulder injury that I've been getting rehab for, for some time now.

It just doesn't seem like a birthday.. but when does a birthday ever feel or seem like a birthday lol.

None the less I am really tired and should go to bed but I know if I do,I probably will not I sleep much tonight, crazy how that works out and all.

I don't feel I get much sleep as of late since I've been drinking so much extra water.

Thanks for listening to me go on and on.

Hope every body else is having a better day then what mine seemly is thus far that is lol.

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They may not be responding to your instant message is probably what is happening. Then again I could be wrong.

You need if you can get some pictures of your self.

Good luck.

There's always hope for any one or body when they at least think it will happen it will happen. You just have to keep thinking things will be getting better etc. Even at any age it makes no difference, rather your 50 or 120 years old.

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Plus I wouldn't call this site much of a dating single, it's more of a friends site.. getting to know others etc type of site.

Hmm... but people have been know to hook up and get married off this site so who knows.

thanks for the heads up. Good thing I normally never open any emails unless I know the person, other wise I just deleted em.

Welcome.

Thanks.. for every body's replys.

Map's like driving places etc. Out of the ones below or is there a better site vs the ones below. ???.. just wondering.

Yahoo maps

Mapquest

Google Maps

Maps

I totally understand where your coming from. I mean he shouldn't two face every body etc. He should lead by example I totally agree with you on that.

All of the people in goverment who have bigger pay checks then they should ... should take a pay cut even the President I agree with you on that as well.

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Every body trying to fix or change something and it's not always working and every body thinks they have the answers when it doesn't always come out the way they might would like it to.

I mean the President can only do so much, because the house and all of those other a$$'s with in the goverment like to screw one another over and over etc.

Life sure as hell isn't fair.

As far as I knew Teachers never really got paid that well.

I'm sure things will turn around and work them self's out, but as the President had said things will get worse before they get better, just remember he is trying to clean up Bush's Mistakes and failed poiclys and all that he has left behind. However these things take time.

Every body has a hard time right now so your not a lone.

It's too bad your working your butt off and now things seem to be back firing for you and your pay is getting cut etc.

All I can say is good luck and hopefully things turn around for you and every body else.