Return to Mark/Space
1.1 "A parasite (consisting primarily of genetic material) that invades cells and takes over their molecular machinery in order to copy itself." --K.Eric Drexler (in Unbounding the Future , 1991).*note: Charles Platt's definition of a computer virus is the best one I've come across so far... simple and succinct.2.1 A software program or routine which attacks computer systems. A computer virus copies itself into other programs, changing or modifying the program itself. Infectious. Contagious.
3.1 "According to William S.Burroughs, 'words' are an alien virus. Language as control over our wetware." --Henry W.Targowski (in Mark/Space , 1995).
-------------------------------------------- 2.2 "A computer virus is a piece of code designed to make itself resident in a computer system, after which it will attempt to make copies of itself so that it can spread to other systems.
"A virus usually infects a system in one of two basic ways: 1. by attaching itself unobtrusively to a regular computer program, so that it is moved into storage or memory along with the program itself; 2. by disguising itself as a utility or program that seems to have a benign purpose. (This second form is often referred to as a Trojan Horse.)
"Once the virus is resident in a system, it may attempt to attach copies of itself to other programs already stored so that if these programs are copied and used elsewhere, the virus will go with them. Alternatively, it may spread copies of itself directly across a network connecting many data-processing nodes.
"Usually (but not always) a virus will be designed to do more than merely replicate itself; and usually (not always) this function will be destructive. When the program carrying the virus is executed, the virus is activated and may erase files in its host system, fill the screen with garbage characters, tie up the processor in idiot work, or create other havoc. Before this occurs, however, there will be a 'latency period' to allow the virus time to reproduce before it attacks and cripples the system where it resides." --Charles Platt (in Protektor , US pbk, 1996).
High Techsplanations
(technical glossary)
The New Hacker's Dictionary
(glossary of Hacker terms)