An introduction to computer viruses
Abstract
This report on computer viruses is based upon a thesis written for the Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Tennessee in December 1989 by David R. Brown. This thesis is entitled An Analysis of Computer Virus Construction, Proliferation, and Control and is available through the University of Tennessee Library. This paper contains an overview of the computer virus arena that can help the reader to evaluate the threat that computer viruses pose. The extent of this threat can only be determined by evaluating many different factors. These factors include the relative ease with which a computer virus can be written, the motivation involved in writing a computer virus, the damage and overhead incurred by infected systems, and the legal implications of computer viruses, among others. Based upon the research, the development of a computer virus seems to require more persistence than technical expertise. This is a frightening proclamation to the computing community. The education of computer professionals to the dangers that viruses pose to the welfare of the computing industry as a whole is stressed as a means of inhibiting the current proliferation of computer virus programs. Recommendations are made to assist computer users inmore »
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 5608409
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/CSD/TM-281
ON: DE92010727
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE; COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE; SECURITY; COMPUTER PROGRAM DOCUMENTATION; DAMAGE; SAFEGUARDS; VULNERABILITY; 990200* - Mathematics & Computers
Citation Formats
Brown, D R. An introduction to computer viruses. United States: N. p., 1992.
Web. doi:10.2172/5608409.
Brown, D R. An introduction to computer viruses. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5608409
Brown, D R. 1992.
"An introduction to computer viruses". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5608409. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5608409.
@article{osti_5608409,
title = {An introduction to computer viruses},
author = {Brown, D R},
abstractNote = {This report on computer viruses is based upon a thesis written for the Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Tennessee in December 1989 by David R. Brown. This thesis is entitled An Analysis of Computer Virus Construction, Proliferation, and Control and is available through the University of Tennessee Library. This paper contains an overview of the computer virus arena that can help the reader to evaluate the threat that computer viruses pose. The extent of this threat can only be determined by evaluating many different factors. These factors include the relative ease with which a computer virus can be written, the motivation involved in writing a computer virus, the damage and overhead incurred by infected systems, and the legal implications of computer viruses, among others. Based upon the research, the development of a computer virus seems to require more persistence than technical expertise. This is a frightening proclamation to the computing community. The education of computer professionals to the dangers that viruses pose to the welfare of the computing industry as a whole is stressed as a means of inhibiting the current proliferation of computer virus programs. Recommendations are made to assist computer users in preventing infection by computer viruses. These recommendations support solid general computer security practices as a means of combating computer viruses.},
doi = {10.2172/5608409},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5608409},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1992},
month = {Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1992}
}