Jesse's Blog

As I briefly discussed in my previous post, malware can come in various forms. One of the most common types of malware is known as computer worms. As Ivan Belcic from Avast Academy loosely states, “Computer worms are self-contained malware that latch onto devices and immediately spread through the network without any external aid.”

One of the most infamous computer worms is MyDoom. First Appearing in mid-January of 2004, MyDoom is known as one of the worst malware outbreaks in history. The worm targeted Windows-based devices and infected them using corrupted email attachments. In an article by OKTA, the site states, “In January and February of 2004, people all around the globe started getting mysterious email messages that said, ‘I’m just doing my job, nothing personal, sorry.’ Each email came with an attachment, and every time people checked their inboxes, they got another copy.” Since the emails were so poorly written, they had been widely confused for harmless spam. However, the second it arrived, the worm had infected the device, spreading from computer to computer using the email addresses on said computer to copy itself to those other addresses.

As a result, the computer worm spread like wildfire; it reached 500 thousand computers in only a little over a month. Nearly 20 years later, MyDoom is still unbeaten as the fastest-spreading email worm in the world. According to an article from Get Support, and I quote, “Back in late January 2004, once the virus had spread to millions of computers all over the world, it essentially waited until 1st February, when it planned to begin a coordinated attack on the website of the SCO Group.” Fortunately, after a few weeks, the worm ended up dying down on its own. The incident officially ended on March 1st. Though the malware did resolve itself, the infected devices never recovered. It destroyed countless Windows-based computers, resulting in 38 billion dollars in damages. The cost in today’s economy would equal roughly 52 billion dollars because of inflation. Despite MyDoom’s global impact, The creator of the infectious malware is still unknown. Many suspected it to be a Russian programmer due to similarities between MyDoom and other worms in Russian labs when the incident occurred. Regardless, this theory was never confirmed or expanded apon after the event’s initial coverage. Unfortunately, due to the creator’s anonymity, no one was held accountable for this attack. 

The MyDoom worm is still active today, albeit diminished and contained. As explained by NORD VPN, and I quote, “The worm is still active and running. However, it is contained in just over 1% of malicious emails worldwide, mostly those sent by spammers originating from China and the US.” The original strain of the malware resolved itself two decades ago, but there have been multiple sightings of new MyDoom versions or variants since the initial event. Looking at this computer worm and the damage it caused, it’s crucial to learn more about what to look out for and how to protect yourself from an attack. If your device is infected, the first step is to minimize the damage. If it’s your personal computer, disconnect it from the internet, or contact your IT department if you are on a work computer. Then, install/update antivirus software on your computer to locate and remove the infection. Lastly, to prevent the risk of another infection, change your passwords, update your software, install/enable a firewall, and maintain anti-virus software.