I’ve always wondered how computer viruses are made. If someone creates a virus on their own computer, wouldn’t it infect and potentially destroy their system first before it’s spread to others?
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A virus is a piece of software just like any other, and therefore the writer of that software can build in certain safeguards that allow them to test the software “safely.” For example, if I have a program that encrypts all someone’s files and holds them at ransom, I also have the key to that encryption. Or if I create a software that tracks all your keyboard presses, I know where the file gets “hidden” and what to delete.
Basically, knowing how the virus works in advance makes it trivial to prepare for and create countermeasures. The majority of cyber arms races is just examining other peoples’ software and figuring out how they works.
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