What are computer viruses?

Viruses (also called “malicious programs”, “malware”, etc.) are small computer programs or parts of programs that can trigger unwanted actions and have various effects on your computer system:

• At the most harmless level, viruses are merely annoying or cause confusion, for example, by performing unusual actions but not damaging your data.
• Other viruses use your system by abusing programs, e.g. using your e-mail program to send e-mails to all the addresses in your address book, or by tapping them.
• Some viruses spy on passwords, modify files or, in the worst case, destroy entire systems.
• For some time now, there have been widespread viruses that encrypt your and your Authority or institution ’s data. The key for decryption is then offered for sale (so-called ransomware; ransom = extortion).

The bandwidth is therefore large. Approximately a thousand new viruses are put into circulation every day. The damage caused by viruses has long been in the millions. On the TU’s own website https://itmc.tu-dortmund.de/en/the-itmc/news-and-warnings/ you can find out at any time about the current threats to the IT security of all members of the TU Dortmund University.