Biological versus computer viruses

Abstract

To understand biological viruses , some notions of the fundamental knowledge of the structure of DNA, the genetic code, the biosynthesis of proteins, the transcription, replication and transfer processes,... are presented so as to give an idea as to how the genetic information is decrypted by biological mechanisms and consequently, how viruses work. A computer "virus" can be defined as a piece of code with a self-reproducing mechanism riding on other programs which cannot exist by itself. In contrast, a worm can exist independently. A computer "virus" can be considered as another category of computer user, the problem of protection against such a "virus" can be reduced to the problem of protection against users.The choice of the term Self-Reproducing Program (SRP) appears to be unambiguous in comparison to the word "virus". After having created the computer in 1948, John Von Neumann said in 1949 that it must be possible to imagine logical or mechanical engines that would be able to be self-reproducing. We propose that "good" SRP's should be useful for the automatic maintenance of software, by infection of old versions by the most recent version in the form of such an SRP. Protection is possible by a better understanding of computer systems and their mechanisms of exchange of data and processes. Such a study is presented for the DOS which should be protected by a watchdog system and suggests the need for a real-time analysis on the most vulnerable points. Security models including Cryptography should offer preventive solutions and "vaccines", the treatment of minor troubles...while prevention requires a better understanding of men and their ambiguities. The idea that there is a need for a better knowledge of SRP's, Worms, Trojan horses ...justifies a call for the constitution of a special database concerning them.