Computer virus

Definition

A computer virus is a type of malware that, when executed, replicates itself by modifying other computer programs and inserting its own code into those programs. If this replication succeeds, the affected areas are then said to be "infected" with a computer virus, a metaphor derived from biological viruses.

Related concepts

.COM files .EXE ADAPSO APL (programming language)ARPANET AV-TEST Advanced persistent threat Adware Alan Oppenheimer Algorithm Amiga Andrew Ross (sociologist)Android (robot)Anomaly detection Anti-keylogger Anti-malware Antivirus Antivirus software Apple DOS Application security Arbitrary code execution Artificial life Assembler (computer programming)Assembly language Authentication Authorization Automata Automotive security BBN Technologies Backdoor (computing)Backup Backup and Restore Benchmark (computing)Binary executables Biology Bizatch Bliss (virus)Boot sector Bootable Booting Bootkit Botnet Brain (computer virus)Browser Helper Object Browser security Bulletin board Bulletin board system CD CIH virus CMD (Windows)CNBC CPU power dissipation Central processing unit ClamWin Cleartext Clickjacking Clone (computing)Clustered file system Code injection Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures Component Object Model Compression virus Computer access control Computer and network surveillance Computer fraud Computer fraud and abuse act Computer language Computer program Computer programs Computer security Computer security software Computer worm Conficker Control flow Copy protection Copyright infringement Core Wars Credit card Creeper (program)Crimeware Cross-site leaks Cross-site scripting Cryptographic hash function Cryptographic key Cryptojacking Cryptovirology Cybercrime Cybergeddon Cybersecurity Cybersex trafficking Cyberterrorism Cyberwarfare Cyclic redundancy check DOM clobbering DOS DOS API DVD Data-centric security Data breach Data loss prevention software Data masking Data scraping Database David Gerrold Debit card Deception Decryption Defensive computing Denial-of-service attack Desktop computer Desktop environments Dialer Digital Equipment Corporation Digital image Digital rights management Diplom Disc cloning Disk image Disk storage Downloading Drive-by download E-mail E-mail attachment Eavesdropping Electronic warfare Elk Cloner Email Email attachment Email fraud Email spam Email spoofing Emulator Encryption Evolutionary algorithm Exclusive or Executable file Executable files Exploit (computer security)FORTRAN File extension File system File system permissions Finland Firewall (computing)Flash drive Flash drives Fleeceware Floppy disk Floppy disks Fork bomb Form grabbing Fred Cohen Function (computer programming)Function (programming)Genetic diversity Google Gregory Benford Hacker Hacktivism Hard disk Hard disk drive Hard drive Hardware Trojan Hardware backdoor Hash (computing)Helsinki Heuristic (computer science)Heuristic analysis Hex dump History of antivirus software History of malware History of ransomware History sniffing Home computer Honeypot (computing)Host-based intrusion detection system IBM PC compatible Income InformationWeek Information risk management Information security Information security management Information warfare Infostealer Insecure direct object reference Instant messaging Integration testing Internet Internet Crime Complaint Center Internet bot Internet security Interrupt handling Intrusion detection system J. B. Gunn Jerusalem (computer virus)John Brunner (novelist)John von Neumann Jussi Parikka Keylogger Keystroke logging Kilobyte Lahore Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Leonard Adleman Linux Linux malware List of HyperCard viruses List of computer worms Live CD Logic bomb Login Los Angeles Times MP4 MacMag MacOS malware Mac OS Macintosh Macro (computer science)Macro language Macro virus Malware Malware research Man-in-the-browser Man-in-the-middle attack Mark Russinovich Master Boot Record Metamorphic code Michael Crichton Microsoft Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office Microsoft Outlook Microsoft Safety Scanner Microsoft Security Essentials Microsoft Windows Microsoft Word Mikko Hyppönen Misuse case Mobile malware Mobile security Modem Mt. Lebanon High School Multi-factor authentication Mutation NTFS file system National Vulnerability Database Network security Obfuscation (software)Object lifetime Open-source software Operating system Optical disc Overclocking PDF files PDP-10 Palm OS viruses Password Patch (computing)Patch Tuesday Payload (computing)Personal computer Phishing Pittsburgh Polymorphic code Polymorphic engine Portable Executable Privacy-invasive software Privilege escalation Process (computing)RAM Random Access Memory Ransom Ransomware Ransomware (malware)Reboot (computing)Registry (computing)Remote access trojan Removable media Richard Skrenta Rogue security software Rootkit Runtime application self-protection SCA (computer virus)SQL injection Sabotage Safe mode Samy (computer worm)Scam Scareware Sci-fi Search algorithm Secunia Secure by design Secure coding Security-focused operating system Security bug Security information and event management Self-modifying code Self-replication Shareware Shellcode Site isolation Social engineering (security)Software Software bug Software engineering Software testing Solid-state drive Source code virus Spam (electronic)Spamming Spinlock Spreadsheet Spyware Statistical pattern analysis Superuser Sysop System File Checker System Restore System administrator TENEX (operating system)Task Manager Technical support scam Telephone modem The Internet Archive The New York Times The Register The Shockwave Rider The Terminal Man Thermal design power Thermal energy Threat (computer)Time bomb (software)Timeline of computer viruses and worms Trojan horse (computing)USB flash drive security Ubuntu Linux Uniform Resource Locator University of Dortmund University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Southern California Usenet Vector (malware)Virus VirusTotal Virus hoax Virus signature Voice phishing Volume boot record Vulnerability (computer security)Vulnerability (computing)W32/Simile Web shell Web threat Westworld (film)When HARLIE Was One Win32.Cabanas WinVir Windows 3.0 Windows 7 Windows 95 Windows API Windows Defender Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool Windows Me Windows Media Video Windows NT Windows Security and Maintenance Windows Update Windows Vista Windows XP Wine (software)Wiper (malware)Yahoo!Zero-day attack Zip bomb Zombie (computer science)Zombie (computing)

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