The Computer Virus
Computer experts have known for several years that computers are vulnerable to attacks by “germ warfare.” It is possible to electronically “infect” a harmless program with a “computer virus” that replicates itself in other computers and eventually damages them all.
A person wishing to infect a program adds just a few lines of instructions to it. These few lines contain the virus, but the computer executes them so quickly that no one is aware that additional tasks are being carried out.
Under this scheme, which is sometimes called a computer virus or a Trojan horse or a time bomb, a program that does something desirable is offered to other computer users. Unaware that the program contains the hidden virus, they take the program into their computers and become infected. At some time in the future, it is possible for the virus to “explode” electronically, damaging their files or scrambling their memories.
When this is done for reasons of mischief or malice, the results can be severe. For example, the virus may contain a delayed command to destroy all the files it can find. The virus remains dormant and undetected, silently spreading itself throughout a computer network, until it springs into action and does its work.
Until recently, the problem of computer viruses was well known in the computer world but did not attract much attention outside. It remained a theoretical possibility, but little more. In the last few months, though, several cases of infection by computer virus have appeared, including a Christmas greeting last year that swamped the computers of IBM.
The theoretical possibility has become a reality. Some software manufacturers are even selling “vaccines” intended to protect computer programs from unwanted viruses. But so far the bugs have been wilier than the vaccines.
Much of the country’s commerce, government and information base is electronically linked by computers. A well-placed computer virus or two could wreak havoc with these systems. The Defense Department relies heavily on computers for command and control of its resources. Could an enemy launch a viral attack on those computers?
There is a less catastrophic danger. The last decade has seen a tremendous growth in personal computers and in the national and local networks that they are linked to. Information and programs are regularly exchanged freely using these devices. If computer users become cautious about accepting other people’s programs, the free and open exchange of ideas will suffer badly.
The government does not want to discuss computer viruses for fear that added publicity encourages more activity. This approach is short-sighted. The fact that computer viruses can be made and implanted is already known. The bad guys are not going to stop thinking about these things just because the good guys do. It is up to the good guys to be smarter and to figure out ways to combat viral attacks. The government should direct more research attention to this problem.
