stealth virus

A computer virus that avoids detection by hiding itself after infecting the machine. The stealth virus may hide in different locations such as boot sectors and various files. It may use different encryption keys for infected files, and it may also keep changing its binary signature. See Brain virus, polymorphic virus and virus.

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References in periodicals archive

The virus had not been identified in 1968 when he received the transfusions, but some experts now suspect that much of the blood and blood products shipped to Vietnam during the war were contaminated with the stealth virus. In fact, some of the U.S.

`Silent epidemic' plagues vietnam vets; hepatitis C, a blood-borne virus, is now appearing in an alarming number of Vietnam vets after lying dormant for years

The stealth virus hides itself by lying to the system about such information as date and size of a file.

Computer viruses: how companies can protect their systems

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