Why do people create computer viruses and malwares?

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There are hundreds and  thousands of viruses out there (if not millions) and they are mostly designed for different objectives. 

The following are the main reasons of why malwares and viruses existed:

• TO MAKE MONEY
• TO STEAL SENSITIVE INFORMATION
• TO CAUSE PROBLEMS TO OTHERS

TO MAKE MONEY

Lots of viruses, malwares, and spyware found do not harm the computer that much, other than slow it down. This malware is designed to capture information and send it to the person or company reponsible for making the malwares. The information they collect is then used to target advertisements to your computer. These ads come in the form of E-mails and pop-ups on your computer. They can earn money from all of the ads displayed. The more ads they send out, the more chances they have of getting people to buy something or visit the advertiser.

TO STEAL SENSITIVE INFORMATION

All sensitive information such as passwords or credit card numbers and send it to the virus creator. They use "KEYLOGGING" as a method of stealing information where it maintains a record of everything that is typed into the computer.

The above mentioned methods also allows an attacker to gather an incredible amount of data about a person which can be used for identity theft purposes.

TO CAUSE PROBLEMS AND TROUBLES

They enjoy causing troubles and making others suffer. Some malware can crash an entire network system and cause system outrages for large companies like banks or production companies.

A perfect example of this type of virus was the famous MS.Blaster virus (aka Lovesan) which infected hundreds of thousands of computers back in August 2003. This virus would cause the system to restart after 60 seconds and had two hidden messages written in its code: One was “I just want to say LOVE YOU SAN!!” which is why the virus is sometimes called Lovesan, and the other message was “billy gates why do you make this possible ? Stop making money and fix your software!!” It is believed that purpose of this
virus was to prove how easily exploitable a Windows system is.

In the end, it is the thrill of seeing the havoc and chaos they can create that drives them to create more viruses and malware.

BUT DO WE HAVE TO BE SCARED OF COMPUTER VIRUSES AND MALWARES?

No. It may be a scary world out there but the answer isn't locking down the world. It's about taking basic precautions and a little commonsense. When we surf in the web we just have to evaluate the programs before we download them. We look to see how many other people are using things and what kind of reviews they're leaving. You can see how many people have  installed it. If something seems shady, just close it right away.

Your best defense against malware and spyware is to keep your computer updated. You should make sure you have up-to-date antivirus and anti-spyware/malware software installed on your computer. Additionally, always be cautious of e-mail attachments, even if it is from someone you know.

HERE ARE THE TOP 3 BEST FREE ANTIVIRUS THAT YOU CAN USE:

1.Total AV

Features offered:

• Phishing protection

• Disk cleaner and system boost

• Browser manager

• Safe Site browser extension for Chrome and Edge

2. AVG Antivirus Free

Features offered:

• System optimization tools
• Blocks unsafe links and downloads
• Real-time security updates
• Spam and email filter (scans your incoming emails for threats)

3. Avast Antivirus Free

Features offered:

• A password manager
• An anti-malware network scanner
• A gaming mode that disables notifications and reduces system load when gaming
• Behavior analysis technology and customization

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

HOW DO I CREATE COMPUTER VIRUSES?

TOP 10 COMPUTER VIRUSES OF ALL TIME

DO ANTIVIRUS COMPANIES CREATE COMPUTER VIRUSES?