They can wipe out your hard drive. They can crash servers and send shock waves around the cyber world. And they can embarrass you. Here are the biggest computer viruses in cyber history, so far:
1. Brain (1986)
This is the one that started it all. Created by two Pakistani brothers, the Brain virus is widely considered to be the first PC computer virus ever. It wasn't particularly virulent. It was a boot sector infector, and was accompanied by the creators' names and phone numbers. The brothers swore the intention was not malicious, but the genie was out of the bottle; the Brain virus became the model for numerous viruses and other malware for years to come.
2. Melissa (1999)
The Melissa virus was one of the first viruses to be spread via e-mail, crashing corporate networks by taking advantage of the increasingly popular Microsoft Outlook mail client. The virus was spread by an infected attachment to the email, and automatically sent itself to the first 50 names in the user's address book, making it the first virus to move from one computer to another on its own. The amount of email passing through servers quickly increased exponentially, forcing shutdowns and business stoppages. The Melissa virus was also noteworthy because its creator was caught and sent to prison.
3. ILOVEYOU (2000)
This is the virus that made us all afraid to open attachments. ILOVEYOU was one of the first to trick users into opening the file that actually activated the virus. The ILOVEYOU worm masqueraded as a love letter sent via e-mail, but instead was a computer script that sent copies of itself to users' Microsoft Outlook address book entries, overwrote and deleted computer files, modified Internet Explorer pages, and even interfered with Registry keys. It caused billions of dollars worth of damages, and is still considered one of the worst worms ever.
4. Klez (2001)
Yet another e-mail virus, Klez makes the list because it pioneered "spoofing," the trick of making it seem as if an email comes from someone other than the actual sender. Thanks to Klez, you can't trust that an email that appears to be from your mom is actually from your mom; a spammer may have "spoofed" the From field. Klez spreads itself using open networks and e-mail. Unlike other viruses, it doesn't require Microsoft Outlook to spread itself - and while it isn't a particularly malicious virus, it can corrupt files and interfere with some software. Klez is also notoriously hard to exterminate, and versions of it continue to turn up fairly regularly.
5. Benjamin (2002)
Benjamin is significant in virus history because it's the first that spread itself via a file-sharing program, in this case, Kazaa. It tricked users into thinking they were downloading media files. Instead, they downloaded the Benjamin virus. Benjamin created its own folder on the user's computer, filled the folder with replicated versions of itself, and then made itself available for sharing to other Kazaa users. Benjamin's primary effects were to overload a user's hard drive and eventually to slow down networks, but aside from that it wasn't particularly malevolent.
BONUS: THE ANNA KOURNIKOVA VIRUS (2001)
The Anna Kournikova virus didn't really cause any major harm or data loss, but it did cause embarrassment. It was spread by users clicking on an attachment that promised to be a hot picture of the tennis star. Naturally, opening the attachment unleashed the virus, which sent itself to all of the contacts in the user's Microsoft Outlook address book. Server overload caused business stoppages, and numerous users were forced to admit that they found the promise of an Anna Kournikova image impossible to resist.
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Top 10 Tips for Business Website Success
- Have (at least) an idea of what your budget is for your website development – initial and ongoing.
- Clearly define (to yourself) your expectations for your site. More sales? Cost savings? More enquiries? How much, and by when? Ensure that your site has bold 'calls to action' that will help deliver on these expectations.
- Get real. Ask prospective website developers if your expectations are realistic given your budget. Have broad shoulders, and be prepared to either reduce your expectations or increase your budget.
- The bigger and bolder your vision for your website, the higher the importance of planning in advance of a single line of code being written. Get a website planning expert to help you do this - either from within a website company, or an independent website planning consultant (yes, they do exist). Expect to pay professional rates for a professional plan.
- Websites do not market themselves (honestly!). Do not allocate your entire budget to your website. Marketing of your site, online and/or offline (traditional), is essential *if* driving lots of prospective customers to your site is important. If it is, then seriously consider allocating at least 30% of your total first year budget on marketing. Some companies will allocate many multiples of their website budget for marketing activities.
- All other things being equal, you will get what you pay for. Larger companies will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their websites. Do not expect to get a site - or results - like theirs with a budget of a few thousand dollars. (see 'Get' Real').
- Choose a reputable website development company that's a good fit for your company.
- Proven track record. Hey, you might get lucky with a start-up, but remember that most new businesses don't make it past 3-5 years.
- A portfolio of website designs that you like. Good design really matters. You only get one chance to make first impression.
- Of a size that should deliver a consistent level of service to you. 1 or 2 person companies need holidays and get sick from time to time. Is that ok with you?
- Low staff turnover
- Appear genuinely interested in listening to your needs and expectations
- Aren’t afraid to give you advice you might not want to hear.
- Are offering business solutions that match your requirements – not pushing package ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’.
- Perform the core work in-house. You will get better results if you can physically meet and talk with the people who actually do the work.
- Specialise in websites, as opposed to ‘also do websites’
- Can demonstrate that they understand what a 'fundamentally search engine friendly' website looks like.
- Proven track record. Hey, you might get lucky with a start-up, but remember that most new businesses don't make it past 3-5 years.
- Don't neglect business fundamentals. The success/failure of your business is determined by many factors, including how great your website is. Look after the following:
- Cashflow
- Having the right people on board
- Your passion for your business
- Knowing your numbers
- Customer service
- Great systems
- Reliable supply channels
- Sufficient margins/markup
- Effective marketing
- Access to impartial business advice
- Understand that there is no such thing as a perfect or a finished website. Every truly successful website is under regular development/refinement. This is why it's so important to
- Choose a 'good fit' website company. Can you work with them on an ongoing basis? Do you share similar visions/values?
- Ensure that systems are in place, human and computer, to monitor and report on the performance of your website, and be prepared to tweak and tune your site over time to increase your success.
- Understand where your own expertise lies in the website development process. Let the experts in the company you've chosen do what they do best. Trusting them to do this shouldn't be an issue if you've chosen wisely.
Hardware Engineering
There's a joke circulating across the Internet that goes: "A software engineer, a hardware engineer, and a departmental manager were driving down a steep mountain road when suddenly the brakes on their car failed. The car careened out of control down the road, bouncing off the mountainside. The car's occupants, shaken but unhurt, discussed what to do next.
The departmental manager said, 'Let's have a meeting, propose a vision, formulate a mission statement, define a set of goals, and by a process of continuous improvement, find a solution to the critical problems, and then we can be on our way.'
'No, no,' said the hardware engineer, 'That will take far too long, and besides, that method has never worked before. I've got my Swiss Army knife with me, and in no time at all I can strip down the car's braking system, isolate the fault, fix it, and we can be on our way.'
'Well,' said the software engineer, 'Before we do anything, I think we should push the car back onto the road and see if it happens again.'"
While that joke may not be particularly flattering to engineers, it does shed some light on the nature of the hardware engineer's function. Generally, they are concerned with the design, development and testing or debugging of computer hardware-the nuts and bolts of a system. As the hardware engineer in the joke displayed, technical professionals in this capacity like to strip a problem down to the wires and fix it fast.
Employers can range from computer manufacturers to universities to any company that uses computer networks. When hiring hardware engineers, all look for qualities such as the ability to ensure hardware reliability, isolate problems quickly and improve the computer development process.
Sound like abilities you possess? If so, you might be interested in this dynamic field, which attracts technical professionals from electrical, systems and programming backgrounds. The day-to-day pace is varied and the challenges are numerous, but for the right candidates, the rewards are no joke.
The departmental manager said, 'Let's have a meeting, propose a vision, formulate a mission statement, define a set of goals, and by a process of continuous improvement, find a solution to the critical problems, and then we can be on our way.'
'No, no,' said the hardware engineer, 'That will take far too long, and besides, that method has never worked before. I've got my Swiss Army knife with me, and in no time at all I can strip down the car's braking system, isolate the fault, fix it, and we can be on our way.'
'Well,' said the software engineer, 'Before we do anything, I think we should push the car back onto the road and see if it happens again.'"
While that joke may not be particularly flattering to engineers, it does shed some light on the nature of the hardware engineer's function. Generally, they are concerned with the design, development and testing or debugging of computer hardware-the nuts and bolts of a system. As the hardware engineer in the joke displayed, technical professionals in this capacity like to strip a problem down to the wires and fix it fast.
Employers can range from computer manufacturers to universities to any company that uses computer networks. When hiring hardware engineers, all look for qualities such as the ability to ensure hardware reliability, isolate problems quickly and improve the computer development process.
Sound like abilities you possess? If so, you might be interested in this dynamic field, which attracts technical professionals from electrical, systems and programming backgrounds. The day-to-day pace is varied and the challenges are numerous, but for the right candidates, the rewards are no joke.
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