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From Code Red to Melissa, we count down the 10 most destructive computer viruses.
#10: ILOVEYOU: Also known as the “Love Letter Virus,” this worm originated from the Philippines
and started making the rounds in May of 2000. From Merrill Lynch to the British Parliament,
companies everywhere were dealing with it. The virus spread through email using the subject
line “ILOVEYOU.” If someone clicked on a text file attached to the email, their computer
was infected. When all was said and done, the US alone spent $15 billion to eliminate
it.
#9: Melissa: You can thank David L. Smith for this one. Smith named the virus after
an exotic dancer living in Florida and unleashed it in 1999 using an America Online account.
Smith was eventually caught and sentenced for his crime. While the virus wasn’t meant
to be malicious, it did force companies to shut down their servers and cost millions
in lost productivity and damage. Estimates claim over 100,000 computers were infected
worldwide. One company even sent it out in a press release, an accident that caused deep
embarrassment. Melissa was one of the first viruses to become famous.
#8: Mydoom: First sighted in 2004, this digital troublemaker affected Microsoft Windows and
exceeded the “ILOVEYOU” virus in number of damaged computers. The name of its creator
was never revealed, but some believe the person was paid for their work. Mydoom received its
name from Craig Schmugar, an employee at McAfee who thought the word “doom” was very appropriate.
The virus was spread through email or file sharing on the then-popular peer-to-peer program
Kazaa.
#7: Stuxnet: Unlike other viruses, Stuxnet wasn’t out to steal passwords or credit
card numbers. No, this malicious worm was developed to wreak havoc in Iran in an effort
to destroy the country’s nuclear program. Though nobody has openly admitted anything,
it’s believed that a US-Israeli collaboration was behind its creation.
#6: Code Red: In the summer of 2001, over a million computer systems fell victim to
this virus, with clean-up costs totaling $2.75 billion. You knew something was wrong if you
saw the message “Hacked By Chinese” on a website you visited. Code Red got its name
because the people who discovered it were drinking Code Red Mountain Dew at the time.
The origin country is believed to be the Philippines or China, but nobody knows for certain.
#5: Conficker: Anybody who had a working computer in 2009 was definitely shaking in their boots.
That’s because the media hype about this virus was so strong, it was enough to drive
the world crazy. Conficker is a combination of the English word “configuration” and
the German obscenity “ficker.” This virus could infect a computer through the traditional
email route, or through websites such as Twitter and Facebook. While the true number of infected
computers is unknown, it’s believed to be close to 15 million, affecting governments
and businesses alike.
#4: SQL Slammer: Called “the fastest-spreading worm of its time,” the SQL Slammer made
its debut in 2003. It took just 15 minutes for this virus to spread worldwide, and its
total number of damaged computers totaled 359,000. Banks in the US and Canada were unable
to keep their ATMs running, and many people in Portugal lost Internet access. Even South
Korea ran into problems. The person behind the virus was never identified.
#3: Blaster: In 2003, this virus managed to shut down a US railroad system and several
prominent companies, including BMW and Air Canada. It infected 188,000 computers in the
span of two days and was still causing problems as late as 2005. An 18-year-old American named
Jeffrey Lee Parson was arrested for creating a B variant of the virus and was sentenced
to an 18-month prison term.
#2: CIH: Chen Ing-hau, a student from Taiwan, let this beast loose in 1998. Commercial damages
amounted to $1 billion and 60 million computers were hit. Unfortunately, because no victims
came forward with complaints, prosecutors in Taiwan were unable to charge Chen at the
time. He was eventually detained in 2000.
#1: Sasser: Delta Airlines and American Express were just a few companies that reported problems
as a result of this virus. In 2004, millions of computers around the world crashed or slowed
down, leaving many seeking answers. German student Sven Jaschan received a “21 month
suspended sentence and 30 hours of community service” for creating the virus.
Hey guys fresh here and thanks for watching my video on the 10 most destructive computer
viruses! If you have your own idea for a countdown, leave it in the comment section below and
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