CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

This research paper finds the factors which leads the virus attacks among personal computer users. Today’s society has seen an increase in the use of computers. As a result, users of personal computer today need to have a virus protection mechanism to face the growing computer viruses. Virus attacks on computer are more harmful that shows up and more damage to the computer and It is important to analyze the actions that a virus performs in one’s system and also the activities that are possible to occur. This helps in protecting our PC with needful security mechanisms to safeguard the secure information [A. Coulthard et all, 2002]. The purpose of this research paper is to introduce to the reader the threats that the computer viruses can create, provide guidelines on how individuals can protect themselves against these viruses.   

Nowadays many computer viruses are designed to self-replicate and self-install over a very short period of time. They come encoded with specific instructions to destroy and advance through its host computer, and can affect a multitude of programs and applications very quickly. Recognizing the symptoms of a computer virus can help to successfully remove it from the infected computer as quickly as possible; the sooner this is completed, the easier it will be to recover any documents or programs that may be damaged, and prevent the virus from further spreading [Ajayshivaa (2007)]. After identification of typical factors which leads to computer virus attacks the possible solutions are put forwarded to PC users to surmount this virus attacks and for their future improvement in computer usage.

1.1.1 Types and Ways of Computer Virus Attacks

⦁ Boot Sector Virus: These types of viruses effect on the disk and the hard drive that holds small section referred as the sectors. Once the boot sector is attacked, they become infected when you reboot the system with the infected diskette it spreads through the hard drive. 

⦁ Multipartite viruses: It is a form of hybrid boot sector program virus that affects the programming files. While the infected program is activated it hits the boot record. When the system is restarted it subsequently passes on the infection to other local drive in to computer scattering on the virus to the other programming files instantly.

⦁ Macro viruses: infects a Microsoft Word or similar application and causes a sequence of actions to be performed automatically when the application is

started or something else triggers it. A typical effect is the undesired insertion of some comic text at certain points when writing a line.

⦁ Stealth viruses: Have the characteristic of hiding and usually changes file sizes to escape detection. A virus with stealth attributes tends to be found in a boot sector or a program file. Stealth viruses cover their trails by two techniques. The first is to redirect disk reads to other locations and the second technique is making a change in boot tables. 

⦁ Program Virus: The program virus is kept hidden in the flies or documents, once they are activated or called, they start infecting the system by copying the virus to other files and replicating to the system. 

⦁ Polymorphic Virus: The Polymorphic virus behaves like a chameleon that changes its virus signature frequently once they get multiplied and ready to affect the next new-fangled file. It is also referred to as binary pattern.

⦁ FAT virus : It is a computer virus which attacks the file allocation table (FAT), a system used in Microsoft products and some other types of computer systems to access the information stored on a computer.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The threat of attack by computer viruses is in reality a very big problem specifically attacks aimed at subverting computer security. This paper examines computer viruses as malicious logic in a research and development environment, relates them to various models of security and integrity, and examines current research techniques aimed at controlling the threats viruses in particular, and malicious logic in general, pose to computer systems. Finally, a brief examination of the vulnerabilities of research and development systems that malicious logic and computer viruses may exploit is undertaken.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Uncertainty prevailed about the results of computer virus infections among computer users. It was decided therefore, to determine to what degree personal computer users have experienced problems with their stored information due to virus infections on their computers. If any problem was experienced, the environment in which they occurred would be simulated in a controlled experiment, to determine the actual effect of the virus infections. If any real risks were identified, recommendations to minimize or eliminate them would be made.

Specific objectives include:

⦁ To determine what effect computer viruses have had on computerized information among personal computer users.

⦁ To identify, in controlled laboratory tests, the degree of danger that some of these viruses pose to stored information.

⦁ To reach conclusions based upon the results of the laboratory tests.

⦁ To suggest a disinfection procedure for the computer users.

.1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study revolves around personal computer users and their files stored in the system. It studies how virus attack influences their computer usage and solutions which when implemented guides against virus infection and recovers already infected file.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is will be of immense help to everyone who has personal computer and connects to a network. It will guide against computer infection and gives protection against virus. It will also be useful to every computer user in general and the whole world at large.

1.6 DEFINITION OF TERMS

⦁ virus attacks: The process in which maliciously written programs infect a computer in order to gain unauthorized access to information and corrupt a file. 

⦁ virus detection: Getting rid of virus infection from a computer

⦁ PC: Abbreviation for personal computer

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