Back in the early 1970s, the first ever computer virus was created. It took an absolute age to create and was incredibly hard to spread, even with use of a floppy disk. This was the case with all viruses until the advent of the internet two decades ago. Since then, viruses and other malware types have been able to grow with ease, much to the dismay of millions of computer owners.
While the majority of viruses can be stopped in their tracks with the help of security software and vigilance on the part of computer users, some supersized viruses have managed to cause billions of dollars’ worth of damage. They managed to do their work by infecting a device and spreading to others via a wireless network or web server, causing destruction to many machines in the process.
This infographic details how the five biggest of all time did their work and how much damage they caused in terms of cash and the number of computers affected. Just reading about them makes you wonder whether they will ever be stopped. Sadly, as technology has moved on, cybercriminals behind viruses have kept pace, creating a series of bugs which continue to cause misery for millions.
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Source: Norton.com