Protecting your system from the “I LOVE YOU” virus is not challenging but requires a step-wise process and this article provides you with a reliable one.
During the early days of the Internet, our systems were unprotected from anti-virus software. A virus named I LOVE YOU, which worked as a bug, got inside the computers through the mailing system, thereby harming the majority of users who were actively using the Internet at that time. If you ask the people who had to experience the I LOVE YOU virus attack previously, they can convey the extent to which the people had to suffer.
However, due to the advancement of technology these days, such attacks like I LOVE YOU malware have lost their credibility to damage and destroy the data available inside the computers. Hence, if you are eager to learn more about the history and other functionalities associated with the I LOVE YOU virus, here in this article, you can find everything that you could be looking for effectively.
What language was the I LOVE YOU worm written in?
The I LOVE YOU programming language was written in VBScript by a 24-year-old Onel de Guzman, who was only a college student from Manila, Philippines. According to a later investigation, it was found that the I LOVE YOU virus was written in VBScript to allow the users to modify the present data.
You can easily replace the crucial information with malware and trojans so that it could later destroy the whole operating system functioning in your device. Many emails were also edited to trick the users into thinking that the attachment they clicked on was safe to see. But, after some time, they would come to know it was the I LOVE YOU virus that had started doing its work on your machine.
How do you know if it is the, I LOVE YOU virus?
One of the primary symptoms you need to look for to recognize if it is an I LOVE YOU virus is an attachment being present on an email sent by a user not registered in your contact list. On the other hand, if, after checking your emails, you see that an email has been sent to all your contacts with an unknown attachment, then the chances of it being the I LOVE YOU virus could be much higher.
Moreover, if you don’t recognize the symptoms of the I LOVE YOU virus efficiently. The chances of causing more damage to your operating system could be much more significant than expected. Knowing and understanding all the symptoms of the I LOVE YOU virus helps you effectively discover and prevent it from causing mayhem in your computer system.
What is the I LOVE YOU virus?
Onel de Guzman, a college student in Manilla, Philippines, is the mastermind behind creating the I LOVE YOU computer virus that reigned terror upon all computer systems globally in 2000. The I LOVE YOU virus is also referred to as a worm whose primary purpose was to steal the data and passwords of the users spread across the Internet.
An email would be sent to your server named I LOVE YOU that contained an attachment called LOVE LETTER FOR YOU, which activated a basic visual script that inflicted maximum damage to the computer’s software. The LOVE LETTER virus would delete all the pictures and videos in your drive and even damage the office documents by overwriting or permanently deleting them.
The love bug virus would not stop after inflicting damage on your computer, as the next target is sending the same email to all the addresses saved in your Outlook address book effectively. Such instances made the I LOVE YOU virus one of the fastest-spreading computer malware ever to be made across the Internet. Moreover, as a known person sent the email, most people were unaware of any malware.
From all the reports collected after the scourge of the I LOVE YOU virus, it was found that at least 15% of Internet users during that time were affected by the virus in a devastating manner. Some major governmental bodies like the CIA, FBI, Pentagon, and British parliament were victims of this deadly computer virus attack. A complete shutdown of the email system was implemented across some significant countries where the virus’s damage was greater than expected.
How to protect yourself from such a virus?
The I LOVE YOU virus was the first and most significant attack that users on the Internet had to experience due to a lack of knowledge on how to protect themselves from such instances effectively. Hence, knowledge about some ways can protect you from such viruses now and in the future.
Here in this article, we have provided some tips you can follow for staying secure at all times while using the Internet for any necessary purposes.
Take precautions before opening any email attachments
The first and foremost thing you need to do to protect yourself from cases like the LOVE LETTER virus is not to open any messages or click links sent by strangers who are not in your contact list. Furthermore, it would be best if you also asked your friends or colleagues whether the email attachment they have sent is secure for clicking.
Try not to hurry up and see the message out of curiosity, as it could lead you to face the same troubles that the I LOVE YOU virus brought with itself. Suppose you come to know that they do not send the email attachment. It would be best if you don’t panic and instead delete the email and later scan your whole computer through an anti-virus.
Ensure the firewall in your computer is put to use efficiently
All of the operating systems present in computers have a personalized firewall installed in them from the beginning, which is used for keeping malware, bugs, viruses, spyware, and trojans at bay from the system of your machine. However, there is still some virus: I love you like cunning viruses that can overwrite the complete firewall protection.
They can successfully make their way into your machine effectively. If such instances happen, please use the security tools available on the Internet or your device to check for these viruses. One of the most popular scanners for different viruses is anti-virus software.
It can monitor the whole system and find any malicious viruses that could damage the computer later on. They can even get rid of these viruses permanently. They can do so by deleting them from your system. Also, they can block any pathways for any intervention that could happen in the future.
Carry out frequent backups from time to time
Suppose your device contains many vital files; if something happens, the damage you face could be unbearable for starters. In that case, backing up all your crucial files from time to time can help you recover them efficiently; if I LOVE YOU, the infection spreads throughout your computer system.
Backing up all your data is easy if you know how to do such a thing effectively. All you need to do is click on the backup and restore option in your windows software and copy-paste all the files you want to be secured. Moreover, you can also schedule such back-ups depending on the files you want to be saved or not.
Conclusion
Nobody with a sane mind would like to experience the terror that the I LOVE YOU virus brought. It did this to all the users present globally for the second time. Besides, if you don’t want an I LOVE YOU email infecting your operating system, ensure you adequately follow all the tips given above. All we can do is hope that there are no future instances of the I LOVE YOU virus while successfully equipping ourselves with all the necessary precautions.
FAQs
- Who made the I LOVE YOU virus?
Onel de Guzman, a.k.a Lto3, a college student in Manila, Philippines, made the I LOVE YOU virus at the tender age of 24.
- How was the I LOVE YOU virus stopped?
To curb the spread of the I LOVE YOU virus, institutions decided to shut down their mailing system entirely. It which was regarded as one of the most catastrophic computer disasters at that time,
- Who was affected by the I LOVE YOU virus?
All the large multinational companies were affected the most by the spread of the I LOVE YOU virus at large. These involve Ford, AT&T, Microsoft, and even some government institutions.
- When did the I LOVE you virus start?
It was on 4th May in the year 2000 when the I LOVE YOU virus started infecting the systems of computers. It started in Hong Kong, then moved its way up to Europe and finally the United States of America.
