US Military Creating Good Viruses to Prevent Cyberattacks

When we refer to viruses, they generally come with a negative connotation of causing harm but have you ever thought of them as a method of protection? While cybercriminals are always trying to work their way into our home systems, governments are working to guard against attacks on government-run computing systems as part of cyberterrorism.

Last week The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon is developing their own viruses to help thwart cyber-attacks while CNet also reported that the British military is developing weapons to arm the country in the event of a threat to their computer infrastructure.

According to the Washington Post article, both governments are trying to better understand how a virus might be deployed and damage networks in the event that terrorists might use the internet to plan and execute attacks on potential targets that could include anything from servers located internationally to power plants.

The ever-changing landscape of viruses makes the task of guarding against an attack challenging but one the U.S. military is actively taking on in their combat of cyber-warfare. The U.S. government is conducting research to remain educated about threats and design tools to prevent attacks.

While it’s a huge shift to think about computer viruses as preventative measures rather than a constant threat, the potential risk to computing systems, whether global, national, or located within our homes, indicates a need to remain vigilant. 

Besides these large attacks on national computing systems, threats to our home computers always exists too.  Staying knowledgeable, constantly scanning home computers for threats, and running antivirus protection can help you prevent phishing attempts, infiltration by worms, can keep your Mac or PC virus-free.


I am sharing this post as part of the work I do as a consultant to ChicaLogic although I am not required to do so.  This post was previously published on ChicaLogic and contains affiliate links.