ILOVEYOU Virus
This virus name ILOVEYOU is also referred to as a love bug or a love letter. It was one of the most destructive computer worms. It infected over 10 million computers and it started spreading as an email message with the subject ILOVEYOU. It caused major damage worldwide by exploiting weaknesses in email systems and tricking people into opening it. Its impact made everyone more aware of the importance of cybersecurity and the risks of online scams.
How the ILOVEYOU Virus Worked
It was created by Onel de Guzman, a 24-year-old college student. He was poor and was struggling to pay for internet access. The sole motive of this virus was to steal the password of others which would let him use the internet services by logging into other user accounts. The worm created by him had the same principles that he had explained in his undergraduate thesis. His college remarked it as “illegal”. Later, he dropped out of his college and started developing the worm.
The Spread of ILOVEYOU Virus
- This virus got spread as an attachment in Email with the subject “ILOVEYOU” and a message “Kindly check the attached love letter from me!”.
- It used a mailing list as the source of the target. It comes as a message from acquaintances which we generally consider safe and we open that mail.
- In that message, there is an attachment sent in the email as LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.txt.vbs which contained the worm.
- Windows often hides the “.vbs” extension by default, making users mistake the file for a regular text file.
- De Guzman wrote it in VBScript and used Windows Script Host to run the code.
- On opening the file, worm made copies of itself so that it will run upon reboot of the computer. The copies were:
- MSKernel32.vbs
- Win32DLL.vbs
- LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs
- VBScript files were overwritten by worm’s code.
- File like jpg, .jpeg, .js, .jse, .css, .wsh, .sct, .doc, and .hta were replaced by copies of worm with same base file name and the extension was changed to .vbs.
- File like .mp2 and .mp3 were similarly changed to .vbs extension but the original files were hidden and not removed.
Damage and Consequences of the ILOVEYOU Virus
- This virus was originated on 4th May 2000 . The virus spread faster. It first moved to Hong Kong, Europe, and finally to the United States.
- It affected 10 percent of people who have internet-connected computers and 50 million infections had been reported.
- This impact of the virus caused damage over 5 to 8.7 billion US dollars.
- Many large corporations then decided to completely shut down the mail system to protect themselves.
- During that time it was one of the most devastating computer disasters that ever happened.
How to Protect Against Viruses Like ILOVEYOU
- Users should have the antivirus to check they have been affected by this type of virus or not.
- Users should not give the email address to any unsecured page.
- The Email should not be opened if it is sent from an unknown source.
- If the user finds the email address to be fake, then the user should delete the email immediately.
Cybersecurity Evolution After the ILOVEYOU Virus Incident
- Improved Email Security : Stricter email filtering, virus scanning, and attachment blocking were implemented to prevent similar attacks.
- Awareness and Education : Increased focus on educating users about social engineering risks and verifying email sources before opening attachments.
- Antivirus and Anti-malware Tools : Enhanced antivirus software to detect and block malicious emails and scripts.
- Stronger Security Protocols : Adoption of firewalls, encryption, and network monitoring, along with regular software updates and patches.
- International Cooperation : Greater global collaboration on cybercrime, leading to stronger cybersecurity laws and standards.
- Focus on Cyber Risk Management : Businesses began implementing risk management strategies to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber threats.
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/computer-networks/i-love-you-virus/
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