Computer viruses

A virus is a piece of software designed and written adversely affect your computer by altering the way it works without your knowledge or permission. In more technical terms, a virus is a segment of program code that implants itself to one of 108 your executable files and spreads systematically from one file to another. Computer viruses must be written and have a specific purpose. Usually a virus has two distinct functions: spreads itself from one file to another without your input or knowledge and implements the symptom or damage planned by the perpetrator*. This could include erasing a disk, corrupting your programs or just creating havoc** on your computer. Technically, this is known as the virus payload, which can be benign or malignant.

A benign virus is one that is designed to do no real damage to your computer. A malignant virus is one that attempts to inflict malicious damage to your computer, although the damage may not be intentional. There are a significant number of viruses that cause damage due to poor programming and outright bugs in the viral code. Some of the more malignant viruses will erase your entire hard disk, or delete files. Many of the currently known Macintosh viruses are not designed to do any damage. However, because of bugs (programming errors) within the virus, an infected system may behave erratically.

Computer viruses don't infect files on write-protected disks and don't infect documents, except in the case of Word macro viruses, which infect only documents and templates written in Word 6.0 or higher. They don't infect compressed files either. However, applications within a compressed file could have been infected before they were compressed. Viruses also don't infect computer hardware, such as monitors or computer chips; they only infect software. Finally, viruses don't necessarily let you know that they are there - even after they do something destructive. Nowadays the number of viruses is about 55000. It increases constantly. New unknown types of viruses appear. To classify them becomes more and more difficult. In common they can be divided by three basic signs: a place of situating, used operation system and work algorithms. There are three groups of file infectors:

Viruses of the first group are called overwriting viruses because they overwrite their code into infected file erasing contents. But these viruses are primitive and they can be found very quickly.

The second group is called parasitic or cavity viruses. Infected file is capable of work fully or partly but contents of last one are changed. Viruses can copy itself into begin, middle or end of a file.

The third group is called companion viruses. They don't change files. They make double of infected file so when infected file is being started a double file becomes managing, it means virus.

Notes:

* perpetrator - преступник

** havos – опустошение

LANGUAGE ACTIVITY

Exercise 1. Insert prepositions where necessary (of, in, into, by, during).

Firstly viruses can be divided … resident and nonresident. Resident virus having come … operation memory of computer doesn’t infect … memory. They are capable … copying when they are started only. We can call any macro virus resident. They present in memory during the work of the infected application. Viruses can be visible and invisible. To be invisible means that users and antivirus programs can’t notice changes … infected file done … virus. One … first invisible file infectors was FRODO and boot infector – BRAIN.

Exercise 2. Summarize knowledge on the Infinitive. Translate the sentences into Russian. Point out the Infinitives.

1. To transform the Net from academic backwaters into the global Web was the aim Berners-Lee decided to achieve.

2. The text to be translated with a computer shouldn't be too long.

3. His knowledge of the subject was deep enough to encourage the colleagues for future cooperation.

4. To use the Internet to conduct a real business has become every businessperson's need.

5. The aim was to have all the nets integrated in one system.

6. To start business a company needs a highly sophisticated computational

equipment.

7. To write computer programs, to work out data to be processed is a very timeconsuming job.

8. The problem is too complicated to be solved on the spot.

Exercise 3. Translate the sentences into Russian. Point out the For + Infinitive Constructions.

1. Everything has been done for Internet shopping to be of great interest to everyone involved in commerce.

2. It is already possible to talk to a computer for a speech to be accepted directly (voice input).

3. For the results to be a success much work is to be done.

4. Almost every family was eager for a PC to be bought and applied to home holding.

5. For the data on every happening to be the freshest the information on the Web is being constantly updated.

Exercise 4. Translate the sentences into Russian. Point out the Subjective Infinitive Constructions.

1. The first thousand of the Net enthusiasts proved to be mainly academic and computer professionals.

2. Even the more sophisticated computational systems are unlikely to substitute the human brain.

3. CERN and MIT are known to be the first to turn towards Web development.

4. The Microsoft Corporation is considered to have become the world's biggest PC software provider.

5. The invention of microchips and new operating systems was expected to enable smaller and cheaper computers to perform difficult tasks faster.

6. The Web is stated to have created a standard that everybody could - and did - follow.

Exercise 5. Translate the sentences into Russian. Point out the Objective Infinitive Constructions.

1. Lady Byron considered computers to be basically stupid although they could seem clever.

2. We know the first computers to have represented a mass of vacuum tubes,

transistors and integrated circuits.

3. Teachers expect the Centre of Education to provide them with information on programs for keeping students competitive in science and technology.

4. Businesspeople would like selling to be done anywhere via Web and other Internet resources.

5. We believe Hollerith to be the second giant after Babbage due to his «tabulating machine» to have completed the results of the 1890 US Census.

6. People involved in business know several cases of on-line fraud and computerbased espionage to have been committed.

7. Engineers know the speed of light to be the limiting speed on computers.

8. Do you know the Queen of Great Britain to become the first Head of State to use the global computer network.

TEXT 2

Read the text and answer the question of the title.