Top 5 worst computer viruses in history | CodewithHarsh

Once a laughing stock, computer viruses are now a harmful and costly plague in our internet-connected world. More than 350,000 new malware is discovered every day with an annual cost of over $55 billion. But one virus – the Mydoom virus in 2004 – leads the pack, with $38 billion in damages.

Top 5 Computer Viruses

This article ranks the most devastating computer viruses by financial impact. But keep in mind that these malicious programs are only the tip of the iceberg. With 127 million new malware apps attacking consumers and businesses each year, the viruses in this article are the biggest fish in an endless cybercrime sea.

Table of Content

1. Ransomware

2. MyDoom

3. Wannacry

4. Cryptolocker

5. CodeRed

1. Ransomware 

The ransomware made headlines throughout 2021 and remained in the news in 2022 as well.

You may have heard stories of attacks on large companies, organizations, or government agencies, or perhaps you as an individual experienced a ransomware attack on your device.

Holding all your files and data hostage until you pay is a significant problem and a scary prospect. If you want to know more about this threat, read on to learn about the different forms of ransomware, how you get it, where it comes from, who it targets, and finally, what you can do with it. What can you do to protect?

2. MyDoom 

The worst computer virus outbreak in history, MyDoom caused an estimated $38 billion in damage in 2004, but its inflation-adjusted cost is actually $52.2 billion. 

Also known as Novarg, this malware is technically a "worm", spread largely by email. 

At one point, the Mydoom virus was responsible for 25% of all emails sent.

3. Wannacry 

2017 Wannacry is a computer virus ransomware, a virus that takes your computer (or cloud files) in its possession and takes them hostage. 

Wannacry ransomware exploded through computers in 150 countries, causing large-scale productivity losses such as businesses, hospitals, and government organizations, forcing them to rebuild the system from scratches.

4. Cryptolocker 

Cryptolocker was one of the first ransomware attacks. 

This virus encrypts the files on the hard drive. The only way to remove the encryption was to pay a ransom by a certain time limit. 

Law enforcement managed to stop the ransom operation, but not before paying $27 million.

5. CodeRed 

Named CodeRed because of two eEye digital security employees drinking CodeRed Mountain Dew at the time they discovered it in 2001, this piece of malware seemed relatively innocuous compared to some of the other computer viruses on our list, until Microsoft did not find and exploit a flaw in Internet Information. Server. 

The virus was "fileless", which means you don't need to click on anything to activate it, it just requires a stable internet connection