Since the first malicious, self-copying computer program slipped into computers in 1986 virus have caused many problems. They can slow down machines and corrupt data, or display online business opportunity political or funny messages. They also can take personal information such as credit card numbers, phone number passwords, bank accounts, passwords and spam email addresses as well as contacts.
A virus is a bit of code that connects to other files and programs, and it spreads by infecting them. They remain hidden until the affected program can be run. Typically, a virus starts by infecting the host application and then it spreads to other programs as well as files, typically via e-mail. A virus that is successful can cause a lot of damage and destruction in a brief period of time.
The process of creating a virus takes the time and skills however anyone interested in computer programming could learn how to create an infection. You can make a virus to find out about a programming language, or even as a joke. A virus can be used to test an antivirus scanner's effectiveness.
This article will demonstrate how to create a basic computer virus using Python however the same process can be used for any programming language. Python is a good programming language for beginners because it is simple to learn and relatively quick. For viruses, other programming languages that can be compiled are generally preferred because they work at a lower level of the computer and will thus be more efficient.