What the Computer Virus is?

The Virus Begin

1949, John von Neumans says “theory self altering automata” it result from mathematic scientist research. 1960, Lab BELL (AT & T) trying the theory by make kind of game. They make game it can copy itself, modifying and infect program build by opponent. The program it could still survive and infect the other program will be the winner. This game become a favorite game but the program become more dangerous, so they control this game carefully. 1980, The program now called virus and it spreading out from Lab, and start spreading in public computer.
Virus is “a program that can infect other programs by modifying them to include a slighty altered copy of itself. A virus can spread throughout a computer system or network using the authorization of every user using it to infect their programs. Every programs that gets infected can also act as a virus that infection grows”

(Fred Cohen)

Computer Virus is like any computer ordinary program. But it has some basic different than ordinary program. Virus has build to infect, change, manipulate even to destroy other program. Virus is only infect computer if executed.

Virus criteria  

1. Information gathering ability
2. It can checking file
3. Copy and infect ability
4. Manipulate ability
5. Hiding ability

Virus life sickle

• Dormant phase (Sleeping phase/break)
  In this phase virus is not activated yet. Virus can active in several condition such: active date setting or executed by other program. Not every virus pass this phase.
• Propagation phase (Spreading phase)
  In this phase virus will copy itself to any program or to any place on storage media (both hardisk, RAM etc). Each program will be the cloning of the virus (depending the way how the virus infect it).
• Trigerring phase (Active phase)
  In this phase virus will be activated by several condition like in Dormant Phase.
• Execution phase (Execute phase)
  Finally in this phase the active virus do it function such delete any file, show pop up etc.

See also : Detecting Virus on Computer (Solving Problem)