Computer Viruses: Actual or Conspiracy?

In this day and time, one has to stop to wonder about computer viruses. We (as a society) have become so dependent upon computers that we are now being "scared" into computer protection that is not necessarily needed - or is it?

In April of 2008 (according to an online article by the BBC on 4/10/08) , computer viruses hit the one million mark. Really? One Million - interesting.

What amazes me is that computers are not really a "new idea".
1944 - The Harvard Mark 1 computer was invented.
1953 IBM enters the picture and in 1954 John Backkus & IBM created the first successful high level programming language.
1955 saw the development of the first bank industry computer (developed by Stanford Research Institute, Bank of America and General Electric) which began being used in 1959.
1962 saw the invention of the first computer game by Steve Russell & MIT.
1969 ARPAnet was the "original Internet".
1971 was the first microprocessor and the floppy disk. 1973 networking.
Welcome the First Consumer Computers in 1974 & 1975 (Scelbi & Mark-8 Altair & IBM 5100 Computers), then the Apple I,II & TRS-80, Commodore Pet Computers for consumers 1976 & 1977.
1981 begins it all -- The IBM PC Home Computer, Microsoft's MS-DOS operating system, then in future years the Apple Lisa Computer (1983), Apple Macintosh Computer (1984) and Microsoft Windows in 1985.

With this brief history lesson, we have seen the progression with regards to the creation, the improvement and the pace at which developers are spitting out computer related products. In fact 1987-1989 marked the first epidemic computer viruses, affecting those people who started using the IBM PC's. Interesting when you stop to think about it.

If we are this smart, why are we not "smart" enough to not have viruses?
The answer is simple. Viruses mean money.

Viruses mean money for antivirus companies, for computer manufacturers, for computer programs and for computer repair and virus removal.

Where would the major virus protection companies be if it were not for "computer viruses", "Internet safety", "malware", "PUPs" and all the other things they "protect" us from?
Well they wouldn't be making "record revenue of $424 million" for the fourth quarter of 2008 like McAfee did. But McAfee is not alone with it's million dollar revenues - these types of profits (those based on striking fear in people and taking advantage of people that don't know how all this stuff works) are not limited to antivirus protection.

With THAT kind of money being generated, what would they do to keep it coming in?

Develop viruses to "cure" using their product.

Fear of "identity theft", fear of people (those "cyber criminals") looking at our "stuff", destroying our computers where we have stored all of our pictures and data....our fear of invasion and our fear of being violated in our own homes has given the antivirus companies something very solid to feed off of.

Why do I think this?
Because I remove countless viruses from peoples' computers that are "protected" by some of the most large named virus protection companies. I use two very powerful tools (both of which are free) that can find viruses that the these other programs cannot find and cannot remove.

Is it so far fetched to think that new viruses need to be "introduced" or "leaked" or "publicized" in order to keep revenue coming in?

What about the Conflicker virus that was "advertised" to attack April 1st? Were you "all of a sudden" worried about your virus protection? Did you make sure your virus protection was updated? Did you PURCHASE that virus update or new virus program?

After you installed your newly purchased virus program, and did the updates to protect you from the dreaded conflicker virus did you feel all "warm & cozy", anxiety decreased and when nothing happened on April 1, felt relieved that your virus protection worked?

Were you angry when you started to read articles and hear information on the news that nothing happened to anybody? Started to feel even remotely ripped off or taken advantage of?

"They" took care of that, didn't they....because then it was that the conflicker virus was "sleeping" or "dormant" that your computer could be a "Carrier"..... really? a "carrier"? Come on now. But the major antivirus companies, had a "cure" for you...didn't they? You could go to their site and run a "free" scan to tell you if your computer was a carrier that at a later date could become a zombie host computer.

Good grief. Really?

Is it so far fetched to think that these multi-million dollar companies create and release their own strains of viruses to prompt everyday people to purchase an upgrade or purchase their antivirus program?

Is it so far fetched to think that out in the world their are these "virus creating masterminds" that have absolutely nothing better to do (and are independently wealthy) than to create these elaborate viruses that could bring businesses down just for the sake of being able to do it?

Or are these "masterminds", who are obviously talented and educated, being paid - and being paid well to stay quiet and create viruses?

Has anyone ever stopped to think that to create a program to REMOVE a virus, one needs to know how to CREATE a virus and see it's impact on numerous computer systems and computer environments to develop an effective cure?

?? What do you think??