Computer viruses

Computer viruses have been around since the mid 1980s. Over 40,000 different viruses have been cataloged so far and the number of viruses is increasing dramatically. The damage they cause is estimated to be several billions of U.S. dollars per year. Most often, the origin of the virus is difficult to trace. Various kinds of anti-virus software have been developed which detect viruses and take corrective actions. The anti-virus software needs to be continually updated to cope with newer types of viruses. The proliferation of the Internet and Web, have enabled viruses to spread quickly on a massive scale, by taking advantage of several security loopholes. The continual challenge is to have quick and effective responses to these virus attacks