Although they’re seen as a relatively recent phenomenon, computer viruses have a history which dates back all the way to 1971. However, it wasn’t until the creation of the internet that viruses began to proliferate, no longer needing humans with plenty of time on their hands to program them in order to spread.
Today, computer viruses are almost instantly associated with web use, enabled by modems and, more recently, wireless routers and such. They can cause plenty of havoc for anyone unfortunate or blasé enough to be infected, potentially rendering their computer, tablet or even smartphone unusable. According to Norton’s Cybercrime Report, viruses and all malware cost $113bn annually.
Individual viruses can cost the global economy billions at a time, depending on how many machines they infect and how long they’re left to do their work before they get wiped out. As we’re about to find out, here are 5 of the worst computer viruses to cripple computers worldwide.
Norton Top 5 Infographic
