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Computer Virus: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
[[File:virus_5609.png|link=Gunshow|frame|"[[Big No|NOOOOO!]]"|right]]
{{quote|'''Noah:''' ''Is that your answer to everything? "Upload a virus?" The world doesn't work like that, Jake.''<br />
'''Jake:''' ''Yeah, but wouldn't it be cool if it did?''|''[[Callahan's Crosstime Saloon|Callahans Crosstime Saloon]]''}}
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{{quote|'''Grif:''' I find viruses that feature a laughing skull work the best.|[[Red vs. Blue]]}}
In fiction, anyone can write a computer virus overnight. While physicists might be more skilled to do so<ref> Physicists as a rule are versed in at least one programming languages. It's very difficult to simulate things without knowing how to tell the computer what to do. Also, using experimental equipment controlled via real-time software and/or MCU requires to keep around someone who understands low-level programming for it.</ref>, even journalists demonstrate the skills to write computer viruses that can wipe out a complete technologically advanced alien fleet within minutes. There's no need to find a vulnerability in the system to exploit, no need for a development environment, heck you don't even need to know if the alien computers use ones and zeros (maybe they use threes, tens and tomatoes).
The term "virus" is also commonly misused--technically a computer virus infects other programs, or at least other files or the operating system. Not all malware is a virus.
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* Advanced programming knowledge. And we mean advanced. Most programmers are not capable of writing a virus with just the knowledge in their head.
* Some way to generate programs that run on the target system. If it isn't scripted, you may need an appropriate compiler or assembler.
* Lots of time. You're probably not going to do it in an overnight hacking spree, and certainly not in fifteen minutes. It's still a freshly written program and needs to be tested and debugged on an appropriate target or emulation thereof.
* Some way to get the program onto the target system and exploit the security hole. If you can't log in to the system or get someone who is already logged in to open a file of your choosing, this itself is a huge obstacle.
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* In the ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' episode ''Avenger 2.0'', Jay Felger and Major Carter write a computer virus that disables a DHD by scrambling its symbols and corresponding coordinates. While it is not clear whether these two studied computer science, all other work they do just concerns physics.
** Although Major Carter did write the dialing program which imitates a DHD for the (American) Earth gate, so it's not the first programming she has done along those lines.
* The [[Big Bad]] of ''[[Power Rangers RPM]]'' is a ''self-aware'' computer virus. Within three years of its release onto the internet it had ''nuked the planet'', presumably by getting access to [[Everything Is Online|military computers]].
* Subverted on [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]] when Giles asks if they can use a computer virus to defeat a demon uploaded onto the internet. Jenny replies that he's seen too many movies.
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