While computer viruses are still not as dangerous as actual, real-life viruses, they can still cause a significant amount of damage if they’re left out in the open and allowed to infect a large number of computers – much like their natural counterparts. In the past few years, viruses and other similar types of mass cyber attacks have managed to cause a lot of real harm to people and businesses around the world, often in the form of loss of crucial data and financial damages. 

10. Stuxnet

The Stuxnet worm was discovered on June 17, 2010 by an antivirus firm called VirusBlokAda. Widely considered one of the most sophisticated cyber weapons ever created, it was a malicious computer program that was designed to target industrial control systems, specifically those used in Iran’s nuclear program. The worm was able to infiltrate the country’s computer networks and spread rapidly due to its aggressive nature, soon spilling outside the borders of its intended target.

Stuxnet was a type of cyber attack known as a “worm,” which is able to self-replicate and spread from one computer to another without human intervention. In the case of Iran’s nuclear program, Stuxnet was specifically designed to target the centrifuges used to enrich uranium, causing them to malfunction. According to reports, the worm was successful in infecting thousands of computers, along with setting Iran’s nuclear program by several years, especially due to its sabotage of the systems at the Natanz nuclear facility. 

9. MyDoom

MyDoom, also known as Novarg, is a malicious computer program discovered in January 2004. It’s a worm-type virus that spreads through email attachments, file-sharing networks, and other channels. Once a computer is infected, MyDoom can use it to send out spam emails, launch denial-of-service attacks, and collect sensitive information, among a bunch of other harmful applications.

MyDoom usually arrives in emails with subject lines that appear legitimate, often tricking users into downloading and running the malicious code. It caused quite a bit of damage and disruption in its early days, infecting millions of systems and causing about $38 billion in damages. 

MyDoom was also responsible for a number of high-profile denial-of-service attacks, including the one against Microsoft, resulting in their websites being unavailable for several days. According to one estimate, the virus infected about 1 in 12 emails at its peak, making it one of the largest cyber attacks in history. 

8. Klez

The Klez virus was a mass-mailing worm first detected in December, 2001. Its first variant was capable of spreading through email attachments and Internet Explorer, primarily affecting computers running Microsoft Windows. Since then, multiple, advanced variants have been discovered, including ones that can easily spoof email addresses from authentic sources.

The Klez virus and its variants are particularly dangerous due to their ability to modify or delete files on an infected computer. It can also steal email addresses and passwords, making it a major threat to the data stored by personal and business computer users. Some Klez versions are even capable of disabling antivirus software and creating backdoors for hackers to gain access to the machine, leading to more serious crimes. The Klez virus caused global damage in the early 2000s, as it infected millions of computers and email servers worldwide. 

7. SoBig

The Sobig virus first started infecting computers in 2003. It was a kind of a computer worm that used email and shared network folders to spread rapidly to other computers. Sobig even had the ability to create its own server, allowing it to send out infected emails to thousands of users without a host email account. At the time, it was also called the fastest e-mail virus outbreak in history, far surpassing the previous record held by Klez.

Sobig specifically targets computers running on Microsoft Windows. Much like other successful viruses, it uses the tried-and-tested email network to spread around, specifically email attachments. At its peak, more than 1 million copies of Sobig were found in emails around the world, as reported by a digital security firm called MessageLabs Inc. Apart from causing real-life financial losses, the virus also had an immeasurable impact on people that lost valuable data or documents in the attack.

6. Zeus

Zeus was a type of Trojan virus first discovered during a cyber attack against the United States Department of Transportation. It’s a financial or banking virus, designed to steal sensitive information from infected computers like banking credentials, credit card numbers, and other personal details. While it could pass around in a number of ways, the Zeus Trojan primarily spread through email attachments, malicious downloads, or vulnerabilities in web browsers and other online software.

Zeus can remain hidden and undetected for long periods of time, as it gets lodged in a computer or security system and continuously captures sensitive data to send it back to the attackers. Later variants were even capable of keylogging, taking screenshots, and stealing login credentials from user activity. Zeus has been known to target financial institutions, government agencies, and corporations, making it a significant threat to everyday users and large organizations alike.

5. CryptoLocker

CryptoLocker is now a fairly well-known type of malware that encrypts a victim’s files and demands payment in exchange for the decryption key, or some other variation of it. It can spread in a variety of ways, typically email attachments, file-sharing sites, and downloads. CryptoLocker primarily targets Windows users and has been known to rapidly spread across networks if left unchecked. 

Once installed on a victim’s computer, the malware encrypts files using a strong encryption algorithm, making them inaccessible without a password or key only known to the hacker. They then demand payment in exchange, usually in the form of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. Depending on the victim and attacker, the ransom could range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

CryptoLocker is what we know as ransomware – a specific type of malware that causes damages worth billions of dollars around the world every year. It can even shut down systems critical for public safety and well-being, like hospitals and government agencies, until a ransom is paid out, making it all the more dangerous in the larger scheme of things.

4. PlugX

PlugX is a type of Remote Access Trojan (RAT) used by cybercriminals for a specific type of cyber attack known as an Advanced Persistent threat (APT) attack. RATs are malicious software that give attackers remote access to a victim’s computer, allowing them to control it like they were physically there. PlugX is typically delivered through targeted phishing emails or software vulnerabilities. Once installed, it can give attackers complete control over an infected system, allowing them to steal data, execute commands, and install additional malware.

PlugX has been linked with the military, as it has been used in targeted attacks against government agencies, defense contractors, and other high-value targets. It’s particularly effective at evading detection by security software, as it can remain undetected on a compromised system for long periods of time. Once an attacker gains access, they can use PlugX to attack the machine itself, or infect it and use it as a jumping-off point to other, more important systems on a network.

3. NIMDA

The Nimda virus was first detected in September 2001. It’s a sophisticated piece of code that spreads through multiple attack routes, including email, websites, and network shares. The virus combines the best techniques used in worms, viruses, and Trojan horse kind of attacks, and was capable of infecting both servers and workstations running on Microsoft Windows.

The Nimda virus has so far caused hundreds of millions in damages, as it can easily spread through features we use every day, like email attachments. Unlike other viruses, Nimda didn’t seek to cause harm to the files or network security of systems. It went for the more delayed, chaotic effect by slowing down the entire network for extended periods of time, usually by sophisticated denial-of-service attacks. Nimda is also capable of exploiting known vulnerabilities in web servers, allowing it to infect a large number of computers in a short period of time.

2. Fizzer

The Fizzer worm was first detected in 2003 by the antivirus firm Kaspersky Labs. It’s a complex and sophisticated malware, with the ability to spread through multiple channels like email, instant messaging, and file-sharing networks. When it was first discovered, Fizzer was rapidly spreading through the Kazaa network, as it infected a large number of computers before it could be found. 

Once installed on a computer, the Fizzer virus can perform a wide range of malicious actions, like stealing passwords, credit card numbers, and personal data, along with disabling security software to open backdoors for more advanced actions. Some versions have even been known to send infected emails to the victim’s contacts, increasing the likelihood of further infection to other systems. Fizzer remains one of the most widespread viruses in the world, even if it’s no longer as effective as it used to be back when P2P file-sharing was still popular.  

1. Sircam

The Sircam worm was discovered in July 2001, and it quickly became one of the most widespread and damaging computer viruses of all time. It was designed to primarily spread through email and network shares, using a variety of tricks to lure users into opening infected email attachments. Once installed on a system, the worm would attempt to spread to other computers on the same network, combined with malicious actions like deleting files and sending itself to all the contacts in the user’s email address book.

Sircam caused billions in damages and infected millions of computers worldwide, largely due to its resilience and highly-infectious nature, as it was difficult to detect and remove in many cases. At its peak, Sircam accounted for a large percentage of virus infections online, making it one of the largest security threats ever. Thankfully, Sircam is no longer as active as it once used to be, though it remains a threat for certain legacy Microsoft operating systems still in use for specific purposes.

These days it seems that just as one disease outbreak is contained, the next one hits. These outbreaks tend to cause wide-scale panic and disruptions to everyday life. Since the recent flare-up of the coronavirus, hundreds of flights to China have been cancelled. So have many flights between Mauritius and Hong Kong.

To try and prevent the disease from spreading, compulsory isolation periods were put in place and over 6000 passengers were not allowed to disembark from a cruise-liner because one person showed symptoms. And as if the medical community don’t have enough to deal with, several conspiracy theories are doing the rounds too. This seems to be the case with most contagious disease outbreaks.

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8 HIV / AIDS

The HIV virus epidemic is probably one of the scariest on record. At the time, doctors had no idea what they were dealing with, how the disease was spreading or how to treat it. To date more than 32 million people are living with HIV or AIDS with no cure in sight.
Conspiracy theories were spread far and wide, despite enormous efforts to educate the world about the facts of the disease.

A door-to-door survey conducted in California in 1999 showed that around 27% of respondents believed that HIV/AIDS was manufactured by the federal government as a weapon against black people. A telephonic survey in the US in 2005 found that over 20% of respondents still believed that AIDS was ‘created as a way to get rid of black citizens’.

In 2004, 55% of Latin Americans were convinced that the US government already had an HIV vaccine that they refused to release to the public.

From 1999 to 2008, HIV/AIDS was earnestly denied by Thabo Mbeki, president of South Africa. Instead of providing the necessary antiretrovirals to treat the disease, he appointed a health minister who promoted herbal remedies such as potatoes and beetroot. This indirectly led to the deaths of over 360 000 people who had the HIV virus and didn’t receive proper treatment.^[1]

7 Malaria

In 2019, a malaria outbreak in Burundi caused the deaths of nearly as many people as the Ebola virus in the DRC. The outbreak affected just about half of the country’s entire population and around 1,800 people died of the disease between January and July. Overall, around six million cases of malaria were recorded during that time. According to an official who wished to remain unnamed, the Burundi government refused to declare a state of emergency as the country was less than a year away from presidential elections and the president didn’t want citizens thinking his health policy was a failure.

As if that isn’t terrible enough, there are several conspiracy theories about malaria treatment efforts. For instance, when the Ghana Health Service announced in 2019 that they would bring the malaria vaccine into the country, rumors were immediately started that the vaccine was not going to cure malaria, but instead kill thousands of people in a bid to reduce population numbers in Africa.

6 Dengue fever

In 2019 dengue fever broke out in several African and Middle Eastern countries with the Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) and Réunion reporting that they were experiencing their highest infection rate yet.

Scientists have been trying to fight dengue fever with the help of Wolbachia, which stops the virus from reproducing inside mosquitoes. Since the major carrier of dengue, Aedes aegypti, is not naturally infected by Wolbachia, scientists are infecting these mosquitoes on purpose in order to pass the germ on to future generations.

Despite this massive effort to stop dengue fever outbreaks, the conspiracy theories surrounding Wolbachia remain. The main theory is that instead of working to fight outbreaks of dengue fever, Wolbachia is creating more problems by enhancing the chance of viral infection in humans. Another strange theory is that Bill Gates is making use of Wolbachia to put a lid on Earth’s population numbers.^[2]

5 Nipah virus

Nipah virus infection is caused by being exposed to infected animals such as pigs, or eating fruits that bats got to first. It can also spread from person to person. Symptoms of the virus includes fever, headache and difficulty breathing. Complications of the virus could lead to seizures and inflammation of the brain.

In 2018, a Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala claimed 17 lives. It was traced to fruit bats and confirmed to be contained on 10 June 2018. A new case was reported in Kochi on 4 June 2019, but the person recovered, and no new cases have been reported since. However, two conspiracy theorists got themselves arrested in June 2019 when they started spouting rumors that the virus was a ‘hoax’ by drug companies to up their sales. They also implied that the government and these companies were ‘in it together’.

Investigators have since focused their attention on others who claimed that scientific findings on fruit bats passing on the Nipah virus were false. These theorists said that people shouldn’t go to hospital if they have symptoms, but instead should simply change their diet and drink more water.^[3]

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4 H1N1 flu virus

It is estimated that the H1N1 flu virus (swine flu) pandemic of 2009 killed more than 500,000 people worldwide. It primarily affected children as well as young- and middle-aged adults. While the pandemic was declared to be over on 10 August 2010, the virus continues to make the rounds each year as a seasonal flu virus.

Billy Corgan, frontman of the Smashing Pumpkins, stated in October 2009 that while he would admit the H1N1 virus was real, he believed it was created by ‘man’ in order to scare the hell out of ordinary citizens. He revealed that he viewed President Barack Obama’s declaration of a national emergency in a suspicious light, as it was unnecessary and not a true reflection of the situation at that time. He also said that he would be skipping any form of H1N1 immunisation as he didn’t trust anyone who made vaccines.

Another conspiracy theory has it that the World Health Organization was conspiring with drug companies to create a ‘swine flu hoax’ to fuel worldwide panic.^[4]

3 Zika virus

In 2015, the Zika virus was detected in Brazil. Zika fever caused by the virus soon spread to South and North America as well as Southeast Asia and islands in the Pacific. The epidemic ended in November 2016. During the outbreak, concern grew over the Zika virus causing severe birth defects such as babies born with abnormally small heads. This meant pregnant women with the virus could pass it on to their fetuses.

The virus, spread mainly by the same mosquito species that causes dengue fever, can also be spread through sexual intercourse. Many countries issued travel warnings and some even advised women to delay their pregnancy plans. There is still no vaccine or specific treatment for the Zika virus, but symptoms can be treated with over the counter medicine and lots of rest and fluids.

Conspiracy theories about this virus outbreak include that it was caused by either vaccines, weed-killers or Bill Gates. A dangerous theory, which started as a Reddit post, has it that genetically modified mosquitoes are to blame for the Zika outbreak. This is truly misguided as controlling mosquitos is one of the only ways the Zika virus may be kept at bay.^[5]

2 Ebola virus

The most widespread Ebola virus outbreak in history took place between 2013 and 2016, with thousands of deaths occurring mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. The figures are not a hundred percent correct as around 70% of cases were never reported. It is believed that a toddler who died in Guinea in December 2013 was the first to contract the virus.

The Ebola outbreak arguably had the most conspiracy theories getting in the way of medical efforts. Not only was an article published claiming that Ebola was manufactured in the US as some kind of biological weapon to kill millions of people in Africa, even celebrity Chris Brown tweeted that he believed Ebola was a form of population control. Online forums accused federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of “having exclusive rights” to the virus in order to make millions from a vaccine they had ready and waiting.

Another theory states that Obama sent US medical teams to Africa, regardless of the risk to their lives, because he felt guilty over slavery.

The theory that the New World Order manufacturing the virus so it could enforce travel bans and practise military control is also popular.

1 Coronavirus

The Wuhan coronavirus at the time of writing has caused the deaths of 563 people. The number of those infected stands at 28,256 with the outbreak showing no signs of slowing down. It was reported a short while ago that two newborn infants had been infected with the virus, which suggests the virus may be passed on to unborn babies.

Conspiracy theories on the coronavirus outbreak are all over the internet. Google, Twitter and Facebook are said to be taking steps to prevent fake news from spreading across their platforms.

While several scientists believe that bats may be to blame for the spread of the virus, the victims of this disease did not become infected after eating bat soup as some conspiracy theorists are trying to convince people. This misinformation seems to have spread after footage of a Chinese woman eating soup with a bat in it was circulated on social media. However, the footage is not of someone infecting themselves with the coronavirus, but instead of a travel blogger eating at a restaurant in Palau in 2016.

Once again, the biological weapon theory appears with theorists stating the virus ‘escaped’ from a secure lab. Others claim that Clorox or Lysol will kill the virus, which it definitely won’t. Neither will keeping your throat moist and drinking vitamin C supplements prevent you from contracting the virus. Some people are suggesting that those who have already been infected should drink bleach while others claim that avoiding ice cream or other milk products will help prevent infection. None of these claims are true, and the only advice and suggestions that should be followed are those provided by health professionals.

And because he has apparently not been blamed for enough disasters, anonymous anti-vaxxers are also spreading the rumor that Bill Gates created the coronavirus.

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