Yes, Creating a Windows Virus Is This Easy!

Following the boost in the diversity of platforms available to consumers, on top of the Windows operating system, members of the security industry warned that alternative solutions would come under fire just as the Microsoft software products. Although the threat environment is currently focused on Windows, due to its ubiquity, platforms such as operating systems for mobile devices from Symbian to Windows Mobile, but also the open source Linux OS, Apple's Mac OS X, and even Play Station and Wii, also represent increasingly valid targets. But in this respect, the complexity of creating malicious code, or coming up with an exploit affecting a vulnerability in a software product is a relevant factor of keeping the threat environment in an intimate relationship with Windows.

This because attacks have been streamlined to a maximum. And automatic virus authoring kits have reduced the level of complexity associated with creating malware to a minimum. Case in point: a virus maker kit for Windows that has come under the attention of security company Sophos. Building a virus now requires the user only to check a few check boxes and to press a button. And in this manner, Windows virus writing has been opened to the wide public.

"If you thought that writing malicious programs could not get any easier thanks to readily available online kits, think again… This viruz maker I came across today creates customized batch files for a variety of different functionality, ranging from displaying a particular message to deleting and formating drives. We tried some of the functionality and it does mean business! Interestingly some text in its interface seems to suggest that the targeted market is chat program users and social networking site members. Another not-to-miss is the copyright information. This viruz maker kit is detected as Troj/Agent-GOF," a Sophos security expert revealed.

"This iz a viruz maker. It createz fun or distructive BAT viruzes u can send to people you love or hate. Very easy BECOME A HACKER! Just check what u want your viruz to do and click MAKE VIRUZ button," reads a message from the automatic virus authoring tool (the syntax is that of the author). And if you want a piece of malicious code capable of displaying a certain image upon infection of a Windows operating system, or adding itself to the startup, sharing C:, create a large volume of folders, swap mouse buttons, terminate explorer.exe, batch loop until computer hands, format partitions or even shutdown the machine, then the virus maker kit is the right tool to get the job done.