The Evolution of the Computer Virus From Melissa to LoveLetter Print E-mail
By DJP Hybrid

 Like any other field in computer science, viruses have evolved over the years. The term computer virus is sometimes used as a phrase to include all types of malware. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, most rootkits, and spyware), including malicious and unwanted software.


It was in 1949 that Mathematician John Von Neumann described self-replicating programs, which could resemble computer viruses, as they are known today. However, it was not until the 60s that is found as the predecessor of current viruses. It was only in 1983 that one of these programmers announced the existence of Core Wars.

MS-DOS was starting to become the superlative operating system worldwide. The new operating system became the target of a virus in 1986. Brain, a malicious code created in Pakistan, which infected boot sectors of disks so that their contents could not be accessed. Trojan, an application called PC-Write evolved same year. Virus writers realized that infecting files could be even more harmful to systems. In 1987, a virus called Suriv-02 appeared which infected COM files and opened the door to the infamous viruses Jerusalem or Viernes 13. In 1988, Morris worm appeared which infected 6,000 computers.

From that date up to 1995 the types of malicious codes that are known today started being developed. The first macro viruses appeared as polymorphic viruses. Some of these even triggered epidemics, such as Michael Angelo. However, the massive usage of the Internet and e-mail changed the virus scenario worldwide.

When the Win32 platform was implemented, the first script viruses also appeared. A malware inside a simple text file not only demonstrates executable files (.EXE and .COM files) could carry viruses. The first viruses that infected the macros included in Microsoft Office emerged. The technique started by Melissa was developed in 1999 by viruses like VBS/Freelink, which unlike its predecessor sent itself out to all the contacts in the address book on the infected PC. This started a new wave of worms capable of sending themselves out to all the contacts in the Outlook address book on the infected computer.

Melissa, in 1999 another type of virus emerged that also marked a milestone in virus history. In November of that year, VBS/BubbleBoy appeared, a new type of Internet worm written in VB Script. VBS/BubbleBoy was automatically run without the user needing to click on an attached file, as it exploited vulnerability in Internet Explorer 5 to automatically run when the message was opened or viewed. This worm was followed in 2000 by JS/Kak.Worm, which spread by hiding behind Java Script in the auto-signature in Microsoft Outlook Express.

VBS/LoveLetter, more commonly known as I love You, which emerged in May 2000 and caused an epidemic that caused damage estimated at 10,000 million Euros. In order to get the users attention and help it to spread, this worm sent itself out in an e-mail message with the subject ILOVEYOU and an attached file called LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.VBS. When the user opened the attachment, the computer was infected.

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