Through the years, some malicious computer programs have come to be known as viruses. Dr. Fred Cohen, a principal analyst with market research firm Burton Group, coined the term when he was working as a graduate student at the University of Southern California in the early 1980s. “There was a resemblance in how computer viruses and biological viruses reproduced,” he told TechNewsWorld. Given that similarity, a question has arisen recently: Can the study of human viruses be helpful to computer scientists, who are trying to prevent the next MyDoom from wreaking havoc?
*** Quote *** David Perry... thinks this process is one area in which the analogy between biological and computer viruses breaks down. "A biological virus mutates by itself, but a computer virus does not have that ability,". "Without a hacker changing code, it will quickly be rendered impotent." *** Unquote *** esp wrt "Without a hacker changing the code."... surely this is part of the mutation process? How can anyone rule it out? I am no biologist but I feel there are parameters (perhaps unknown? / not yet detected) which cause viruses to mutate... e.g. take away the host cell.. the virus can not replicate. - take away the hacker... the virust can not replicate. I would suggest there are similarities. Although I will be first to admit I know very little about biological virus. ;-)
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Can Lessons from the Common Cold Help Us Defeat Computer Viruses?
Posted by: Paul Korzeniowski February 26, 2004 05:30 AMThrough the years, some malicious computer programs have come to be known as viruses. Dr. Fred Cohen, a principal analyst with market research firm Burton Group, coined the term when he was working as a graduate student at the University of Southern California in the early 1980s. “There was a resemblance in how computer viruses and biological viruses reproduced,” he told TechNewsWorld. Given that similarity, a question has arisen recently: Can the study of human viruses be helpful to computer scientists, who are trying to prevent the next MyDoom from wreaking havoc?
David Perry... thinks this process is one area in which the analogy between biological and computer viruses breaks down. "A biological virus mutates by itself, but a computer virus does not have that ability,". "Without a hacker changing code, it will quickly be rendered impotent."
*** Unquote ***
esp wrt "Without a hacker changing the code."... surely this is part of the mutation process? How can anyone rule it out?
I am no biologist but I feel there are parameters (perhaps unknown? / not yet detected) which cause viruses to mutate...
e.g. take away the host cell.. the virus can not replicate.
- take away the hacker... the virust can not replicate.
I would suggest there are similarities. Although I will be first to admit I know very little about biological virus.
;-)