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- *** The following information is provided to describe ***
- *** the options available and the terms used ***
-
-
- STEALTH, MUTATING, RESIDENT & OVERWRITING VIRUSES
-
- Check marks against these fields have the following significance:
-
- STEALTH - is a term that is loosely applied to viruses that, like
- the 'Stealth' bomber, have been designed to evade
- detection. Some of the viruses are considered to be only
- 'a bit stealthy', but there is no firm rule that can be
- rigorously applied.
-
- MUTATING - is used specifically to describe those viruses that make
- every infection look different through some form of
- variable self-encryption. Some would argue about use
- of the term 'mutating' and, in a sense, all programs
- can mutate in that they can become corrupted through the
- copying process and their behaviour then becomes
- unpredictable.
-
- RESIDENT - means that the virus goes 'memory resident'. Most
- do but some work by 'direct action' and a few do both.
- Memory resident types can be the most troublesome,
- generally being more infectious and also sometimes
- conflicting with other programs in memory. All Boot
- Sector Viruses go 'resident'.
-
- OVERWRITING VIRUSES
-
- The viruses actually overwrite their hosts and this often
- stops the host from working but some can hide inside a
- file. In either case, it means that disinfection may not
- be possible.
-
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