A computer virus is a malicious program that can be made by individuals who intend to cause harm or disruption to systems and computers. They are hidden bits of code which are linked to other applications or programs, and once activated, they spread like wildfire. Viruses typically are attached to programs or documents that were downloaded from the internet or sent via email. The majority of countries consider that the creation and spread of the virus on computers is illegal.
There are a variety of computer viruses that are able to attack computers in a variety of ways. Certain viruses are dependent on a program to start their work, while others are not dependent and can attack multiple systems without the need for hosting. Computer viruses that use a host program in order to infect computers are typically known as worms but those that do not employ this method of infection by using other programs are referred to as viruses.
Certain viruses can infect a system immediately upon arrival, while others are inactive and only activate when the user executes the code. The first computer virus was created in 1974, and it behaved much like a biological virus by rapidly multiplying itself and causing harm to the system. One example of a destructive virus is Stuxnet virus specially designed to destroy computerized centrifuges which were used to enrich the uranium.
The process of creating viruses can be quite complicated and is not for the faint of heart. However it can be a fun and fascinating way to test your knowledge of computer programming languages and systems. There are numerous resources that can show you how to make a virus if are willing and are able to put into the effort.