Popular Computer Virus Names

Computer viruses are an annoyance and a frustration. While new ones are constantly being developed, there are several that have reached a certain level of infamy. From annoying viruses that cost you time, to heinous viruses that could cost you more than a few bucks, here are some of the most popular computer virus names within the world of computer and software programming.

Vintage Viruses – The Beginning of the Game

Creeper Virus

“I’m the Creeper, catch me if you can…” was the message displayed once the Creeper worm infected a system. Unlike many viruses, this worm didn’t actually self-replicate, but was designed to be a demonstration of what a malicious, viral entity could do to an operating system. It was designed by Bob Thomas at BBN Technologies in 1971, and is considered the first known computer virus.

Elk Cloner

Written by Rich Skrenta, a 15-year-old high school student in 1982, the Elk Cloner was the first “wild” virus and was found to spread throughout Apple II computer systems. This was the first known microcomputer virus, and it spread from disk to computer to disk. On every 50^th boot, the Elk Cloner would display a poem written by Skrenta:

It will get on your disks
It will infiltrate your chips
Yes, it’s the Cloner!

It will stick to you like glue
It will modify RAM too

Send in the Cloner!

It was harmless and annoying.

The Morris Worm

Written by Robert Tappan Morris, the Morris Worm, or Internet Worm, was the first viral worm to be pushed through the Internet. Morris launched the worm on November 2, 1988, from MIT. Though Morris has gone on to contribute positively in the world of computer education at MIT, he was also the first individual to be convicted through the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

Morris was a student at Cornell, and launched the virus from MIT in an effort to cover his tracks. He never meant for it to cause harm, and he simply wanted to “gauge the size of the Internet.” However, his own programming error allowed for the worm to infect a computer multiple times, slowing the machine down significantly with each download.

Email Viruses – Upping the Ante

ILOVEYOU Virus

You may have been a victim of the nasty virus known as the ILOVEYOU virus or the Love Letter virus. This was transferred through email, and spread in true pandemic form, reaching multiple continents in less than a 24-hour period. The virus was sent via faux-attachment, and when opened, the worm sent a copy of itself to every address in an email address book.

Other Well-Known Computer Virus Names

Nimda

Released on September 18, 2001, it was widely thought that there might be some connection to the Nimda worm and Al Qaeda. Due to its propagation from multiple sources, it became the most widespread virus via Internet usage in a mere 22 minutes. The Al Qaeda allegations were never proven, but they were never fully disproved either. The virus name in reverse spells admin.

Blaster

Another worm of the malicious nature, the Blaster was quickly filtered and avoided, but it infected many Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems, before the source was discovered. One interesting tidbit about this virus was the arrest and prosecution of an 18-year-old Minnesota resident, Jeffrey Lee Parson, in 2003 for creating a B variant of the Blaster. He served an 18-month prison sentence from 2005 to 2006.

Erin Andrews Virus

When ESPN reporter, and “Dancing With the Stars” celebrity Erin Andrews fell victim to a stalker in 2009, many sites were developed claiming to have the video shot of her through a hotel room peep hole. This was in fact a virus that infected the computers of many individuals who were looking for stuff they probably wish they wouldn’t have gone looking for. Months after it was a known entity, it cycled again and more individuals fell victim to the virus.

Trojan Horse Viruses

Trojan Horse viruses are appropriately named after the legendary Trojan Horse in Greek mythology. Posing as something useful to a computer user, once downloaded it releases malware designed to access an individual’s computer. Effective Trojan Horses can lead to data theft, stolen passwords, and identity theft.