FLU Version 1.40 January, 1990
Familiarity with the appearance of the attacks of known viruses would be
helpful in recognizing when one is present. For that purpose, I have
provided the program "FLU". It is a demonstration program. It does not
contain any of the code present in any virus for the installation of the
virus, or the spreading of the virus. What it does contain is the
non-destructive attack code of several viruses. These attacks are either
audio or visual, so that there is evidence of the attack occurring. There is
no simulation of any of the virus attacks which cause damage to disk data,
since there is no way to recognize when such an attack is occurring (and, of
course, the purpose of the program is to aid in recognizing the symptoms,
not to destroy disks!).
"FLU" is absolutely safe. The program can be viewed as a simple novelty,
which does some strange display alterations. But by running it, and becoming
familiar with the symptoms it displays, you will be capable of recognizing
the characteristics of the attack of several current ST viruses.
Two of the simulations, the "BLOT" virus and the "SCREEN" virus, attack in a
nearly identical manner. They step on a small portion of the screen. When
speeded up to display the symptoms, they have the appearance of drawing
lines across the top and bottom of the screen. However, when the attack
occurs at the speed at which the virus really operates, the attack would
appear more like a small blot appearing on the screen, since the screen
would have most likely been altered or redrawn by the application program
between virus attacks.
The "FREEZE" virus is probably the most difficult of the non-destructive
viruses to recognize, since it is the most subtle. It takes over the ST for
an ever increasing period of time, causing a gradual slowing the machine.
Again, the demonstration runs at a significantly higher speed than the real
virus.
Running the program is very simple. It runs in any size system, and in any
resolution. When the program begins executing, it displays a simple dialog
box. Each button in the dialog bears the name of a different virus, and one
is the exit button.
Click on the button for any virus to execute the simulation of the attack of
that virus. A new dialog box will appear, explaining what the attack looks
like, and offering any instructions needed to return to the main dialog.
Many of the simualtions execute until you press a key, then they return to
the selection dialog.
When you wish to exit, click on the exit button in the selection dialog.
George R. Woodside
Voice: (818) 348-9174
Compuserve: 76537,1342
GEnie: G.WOODSIDE
USENET: woodside@ttidca
or: ..!{philabs|csun|psivax}!ttidca!woodside
US MAIL: 5219 San Felicaino Drive
Woodland Hills, CA 91364 USA