The damage caused by a virus or malware that infects a home PC or company device will range from small changes in your network’s traffic to total system break-up or data loss and more. The size of the damage is based on the objectives of the virus and in some cases, the effect on the users of the affected system is intangible.
Computers and computer networks operability
It can be inadvertent if a device slows down. A virus or trojan may delete critical framework components, thus weakening the OS, overburdening the network with a DDoS attack, or generally affecting operability of the framework.
Deadly, a virus also causes problems. Bugs can be found in any consumer code. Moreover, it is most far-reaching that infections are entirely tested prior to propelling, a training that is also reflected in certain business items. Sometimes the malware contradicts the products and equipment of the system it is running, leading to a severe deception or radical increase in spam movement, thus impairing the system of an organization.
Many devastating events have happened in the past and we saw how the Morris worms came out in 1988, which actually destroyed the structures of the time. Up to 6000 computers have been compromised, and about 10% of the network has been infected. A virus is basically a code designed to cause chaos and paralyze the machine in a regular process.
There have been more interesting things in the past, for example, the Slammer worm that actually has blacked out the US, Australia and New Zealand Internet blackout and elsewhere. In those days, network security was not as strong, and almost 25% of the world’s banking operations went down. Lovesan (Blaster, MSBlast), Mydoom, Sasser and other worm epidemics caused enormous damage to airlines, and banks temporarily stopped their flight operations.
Hardware failure
A virus rarely causes hardware failure because modern computers are fairly well secure against software defects. However, in 1999 the CIH virus, also known as Chernobyl, interrupted the operation of an infected system by deleting data from the Flash BIOS and preventing the computer from starting. Home users had to visit a service center to update the Flash BIOS to restore the operating state of the system. On many laptops, the Flash BIOS, the drive, video card and other hardware were soldered directly to the motherboard. In most cases, the cost of repair was above the cost of a new laptop, resulting in the loss of damaged computers. Over hundred thousand computers are destroyed by the “rocket” of the CIH.
Computer failure is an uncommon thing in today’s modern computer during virus attacks. In 1999, the CIH virus, also known as the notorious Chernobyl name, infected the computers through the system by deleting the BIOS. It practically stopped the client from booting the machine. Machine owners had to go to the dealers and have the BIOS reprocessed to make the machine work. Imagine soldering the Flash BIOS directly to the motherboard with the other hardware on laptops. Many laptops were thrown away because they could buy a new laptop for rebooting. Imagine how the Trojan will open the CD / DTV drive and lock it. We’ve just gone into another evolutionary stage.
Even if no visible damage occurs
Trojans or malware do not advertise their presence in the context. Infections can enter the system secretly, and both the files and the system will remain in operation. Trojans can conceal themselves in the system and covertly do their Trojan thing—and everything seems fine in its substance, but it is only a front.
A corporate network virus can be seen as a major force and the damage caused by it is equal to losses associated with disinfectance-related network downtime. The presence of a Trojan is also a highly unwanted thing, even if it does not threaten the network. The Trojan may only be a Zombie server that spams, but it consumes network and Internet resources and compromised computers are likely to spam to the company’s own corporate mail server.
An enterprise system failure can be seen as a major power and the damage it causes is equal to misfortunes associated with system downtime. The presence of a Trojan is an extremely troubling thing, irrespective of whether it constitutes a danger for the system. The Trojan may simply be a zombie database that spam, but it extends network and internet resources and exchanged PCs can handle a lot of spam which is likely to be synchronized with the company’s own corporate mail server.
Sadly, most home users do not understand the problem and do not secure their machines. Our December 2005 survey showed that 13% of the involved did not have antivirus program built in their computers.
Most of these users were unaware of the fact that their computers could be used to distribute spam and attack other network elements. Let’s leave it to your knowledge.