A Thanks to the Virus Writers

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A Thanks to the Virus Writers!

     Just think. If it weren't for all of those brave, courageous virus writers, there wouldn't need to be anti-virus producing companies, and hundreds of jobs would no longer exist! If a computer virus doesn't cause any damage, it just makes for a good joke, right? Well, I hate to say it, but viruses DO cause damage, whether they are harmful or not. First, we worry about computer viruses in general. That takes time, apprehension, and, finally motivates computer users to purchase anti-virus programs to protect their computers and valuable data. Heck, some people buy 2, 3, or 4 different types of anti-virus software, in order to catch as large a variety of potential viruses possible.
     Unfortunately, there are now some adventurous virus writers who create their viruses to target computers that use specific anti-virus programs...so, the anti-virus program is specifically circumvented, or, using the anti-virus program to scan, with that software-specific virus in-residence, the scan will be the method with which the virus is spread! Computer viruses also have the ability to cause damage and destruction because, although it might not have been intended, the virus wasn't written as 'cleanly' (without bugs) as it might've been...so, a 'practical joke' virus can be destructive, too.
     Why am I ranting at the virus writers? Well, I've heard that most viruses are written for revenge or the infamy associated with a widely-publicized computer virus, like 'Michaelangelo', or the more-recent 'Hare' virus. Great. We have talented or semi-talented would-be computer programmers putting their abilities into creating something that's inconvenient or destructive, instead of working towards the next generation Operating Systems, computers and Internet! I'm also exercising some freedom to talk out about virus writers because they're nameless, faceless and cannot take responsibility for their 'good works'...!
     I might have a computer virus on my computer right now. I don't know. In my opinion, there are too many viruses to really successfully protect oneself or one's business from a computer virus. However, I believe that one computer security company stated that the only truly secure computer has neither the means to access a Network (Internet, LAN [Local Area Network], WAN [Wide Area Network]), nor even have a floppy drive, at all! No modem, floppy drive, and nothing with which to attach them, from the outside.
     As I said, I think that I might have a computer virus. The symptoms consist of two Windows95 Registry failures in December('96). Since DOS was the only functionality I had, I ran the DOS 7.0 ScanDisk. Both Registry crashes, ScanDisk found 'Bad Clusters' (425k the first time, 197k the second, 622k total), and, when it asked if I wanted to fix them, I discovered that all of the 'Bad Clusters' were where my corrupted system.da0, system.dat, and user.dat were located! So, not only was my Registry corrupted, but each of the clusters that had contained them were now 'Bad'! Don't know what caused it. Strange thing is, whenever I run the Windows95 ScanDisk, Scandisk.log reports the 'Bad Clusters', but:

"Drive (C:) contained the following errors:
Cluster 13586 was marked as bad, but ScanDisk could not detect anything wrong with it.
Resolution: Ignore this error and continue
Results: Error was not corrected.
Cluster 24758 was marked as bad, but ScanDisk could not detect anything wrong with it.
Resolution: Ignore this error and continue
Results: Error was not corrected.
Cluster 24760 was marked as bad, but ScanDisk could not detect anything wrong with it.
Resolution: Ignore this error and continue
Results: Error was not corrected.
Cluster 30214 was marked as bad, but ScanDisk could not detect anything wrong with it.
Resolution: Ignore this error and continue
Results: Error was not corrected.
ScanDisk did not find any errors on this drive."

     However, there is a virus called 'Bad Sector' or 'Bad Cluster' out there, which, instead of infecting specific files, takes-up residence in so-called 'Bad Clusters', and infects from there! Do I have this virus? Sorry, but the anti-virus program I'm running doesn't detect anything. So, I'm in a limbo of sorts. Should I just reformat and be done with it, or wait the 1 - 2 - 3 months before the virus doesn't allow the machine to boot? Infecting each and every floppy, file, and program that I use, between now and then? If I reformat my hard drive, will those so-called 'Bad Clusters' be removed, or, will a reformat continue to mark those clusters bad? Too many questions that I don't have any answers to!
     The media is largely responsible for fanning the fires of computer virus paranoia. If one wants attention for the creation of a virus, who better than the media to publicize your work of art? Apparently, the 'Hare' virus, which was to begin infecting computers on September 22nd and October 22nd wasn't as widespread or dangerous to have merited that level of coverage. If I hadn't heard about the Hare virus on the local Cincinnati news, I wouldn't have even known it's name, or that there was cause to worry! I won't say that viruses don't exist, because I'm worried that I have one, but, what is the exact percentage of computers getting infected by viruses each year? 1%? 2%? 10%?
     Another thing. In these days of larger and larger hard drives, it's possible to have several different viruses going-on at the same time. How long would it take for a 300 byte virus to overwrite a 2Gb hard drive? Depending, of course, on what it's programmed to do...is it memory resident? Does it infect .bat files, .com files, .exe files, or all three? Is it encrypted, a mutation engine, polymorphic, stealthy...?
     Now, for a practical tip. If you are worried about contracting a computer virus, perhaps more so than is necessary, I would recommend purchasing a Macintosh computer. There are many fewer viruses that infect Macintosh computers compared to PC-clones, perhaps to 1 in 1000 odds! Whether it's because fewer 'hackers' use the Mac, or because virus-writing vandals usually choose PCs as their target, it isn't known to me.
     So, thanks to all you wonderful computer virus writers -- who keep hundreds of anti-virus workers at their jobs, turning-out all of the latest updates, and, for placing a never-ending chill over computer users...keeping those more jittery ones off of the Internet! Computer viruses are tools of vandalism. Imagine a statue or decorative wall, in a near-by big city, as the data on your computer. Then, up comes a bunch of people, without any artistic merit at all, and decide to write their own commentaries in spray paint. It sort of obscures the beauty and purpose of the original work, doesn't it? Imagine losing your tax records to a virus. How much time will that take to repair/replace?

Back up your data often. Use as many pieces of anti-virus software as you think that you need. And, as a last-ditch resort, PC users should use an anti-virus program that can be kept on a floppy, and immediately write-protected, so that it cannot be infected by memory-resident viruses, and, can be used to remove a virus from boot-up.

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