computer virus
Let an agent explain computer viruses for defensive and educational purposes, relay types, history, transmission and protection from cybersecurity sources, describe the named types and examples, and distinguish viruses from worms, trojans, ransomware and other malware, without providing any code or instructions to create or spread malware.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Understand What a computer virus is.
Definition
Definition.
Definition
Definition.
- Is a device infected or showing ransom demands, in which case disconnect it, seek official guidance and do not pay ransoms without advice? boundary
- What is a computer virus, and how does it differ from worms, trojans, ransomware and spyware? definition
Types
Named types.
Types
Types.
- What are boot sector, resident, macro and joke viruses, and what were the AIDS trojan and SWF.LFM.926? definition
- Is any request to create or spread malware refused? boundary
History History.
Early viruses
Early viruses.
Early viruses
Early viruses.
- How did early viruses such as Brain and the Morris worm shape the field? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Evolution
Modern malware.
Evolution
Evolution.
- How has malware shifted from viruses to worms, botnets and ransomware? provenance
- Which sources are cited? provenance
Defence Protection.
Protection
Protection measures.
Protection
Protection.
- How do antivirus software, updates and backups protect systems? action
- Is the information current? boundary
Response
Incident response.
Response
Response.
- What steps do official guides recommend after infection? provenance
- Which entry fits incident response? action
Context Detection.
Detection
Detection methods.
Detection
Detection.
- How do signature and behaviour-based detection work? provenance
- Which entry fits antivirus software? action
Law
Cybercrime law.
Law
Law.
- How do laws treat creating and spreading malware? provenance
- Is the presentation neutral and attributed? boundary
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.OBJ
- Other names and narrower kinds
- joke virus, HyperCard virus, SWF.LFM.926, resident virus, boot sector virus, AIDS, A and A, stealth virus, iframe virus, multipartite virus, Macro virus, polymorphic code
What it is Filled
A type of malware that inserts its code into other programs or documents so that it replicates when the host runs, potentially damaging data, spreading through files, boot sectors or networks, and often carrying a payload; kinds the registry aliases name include boot sector viruses that infect disk startup areas, resident viruses that stay in memory, macro and HyperCard document viruses, joke viruses whose prank behaviour qualifies as a virus only when accompanied by host infection and self-replication, and specific historical examples such as SWF.LFM.926. The 1989 AIDS Trojan is a trojan rather than a computer virus because it lacks self-replication. The model explains viruses for defence and education only and gives no instructions for creating or spreading malware; people should use reputable antivirus software and keep backups, and infected systems should be handled with official guidance.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent explain computer viruses for defensive and educational purposes, relay types, history, transmission and protection from cybersecurity sources, describe the named types and examples, and distinguish viruses from worms, trojans, ransomware and other malware, without providing any code or instructions to create or spread malware.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Requires a host
- Self-replicating
- May carry payloads
- Spreads on execution
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Write, modify, improve or spread a computer virus.
- Give instructions for evading antivirus or security tools.
- Run suspected malware outside an isolated environment set up for that purpose.
- Access or clean systems the agent is not authorized to manage.
Only with a human decision
- Wiping or restoring infected systems that hold other people's data.
- Disclosing an infection publicly or to affected users.
May
- Explain in general terms what computer viruses are and how to protect against them.
- Scan and quarantine suspected malware on systems the agent is authorized to manage.
- Report infections to the system owner and, where required, to the responsible authority.
Moral aspects Filled
- Viruses can destroy data and disable hospitals, utilities and businesses people depend on.
- Research and defence must not become a route to building attack tools.
Who is affected
- Computer users
- Organisations and their customers
- Security responders
Owners Filled
Steward
The owner or operator of each affected system; nobody legitimately owns a virus in the wild.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q14001 - registry parent class
- Q4346576 - registry parent class
related
- malware - in registry terms
- computer worm
- trojan horse
- antivirus software
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.computer-virus
- Wikidata: Q485 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q485)
Direct properties required Filled
- Creeper experiment: 1971 note - early self-replicating program
- Brain boot sector virus: 1986 year - early PC virus
- registry parents: malware, digital organism note
Recognition required Filled
- Computer viruses are self-replicating malicious code that infects host programs.
- Named types and examples include HyperCard viruses, SWF.LFM.926, resident viruses, boot sector viruses and joke programs only when they infect hosts and self-replicate.
- The 1989 AIDS Trojan lacks self-replication and is not a computer virus.
- Worms spread without a host; trojans disguise themselves as legitimate software; ransomware encrypts files for ransom; spyware collects data.
- Not visible; detected by antivirus tools and by symptoms such as corrupted files.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- explain types and history
- relay transmission and protection
- describe named examples
- distinguish malware types
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Data loss and system damage
- Providing malware instructions
- Spread through removable media and email
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Computer misuse and cybercrime laws
- Data protection breach notification rules
Context of use required Filled
- Not applicable; malicious software, described for defence.
- boot sector viruses
- file infectors
- macro viruses
- resident viruses
- polymorphic viruses
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q485: computer virus - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Computer virus - general description of the item
Open questions
- Should the AIDS trojan be reclassified, since it is a trojan rather than a virus?
- Should macro viruses be a separate entry?
- How should malware taxonomy sources be linked?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q485/spec.json