Internet Expert Witness Discusses Damage Due to Computer Worms

Trojans, viruses and worms are all negative problems that could infect and destroy electronic equipment. When a business is facing such a threat, it could prove devastating. Unfortunately, most of these situations end with no culprit found. With the assistance of experts in these matters, it is possible to trace the attack to a person or company. This is just as important when an employee causes such harm to the computers in a business building. The act itself could lead to thousands in damages and lost equipment. Through hiring an internet expert witness, the owner of a company could increase his or her chances in a civil suit’s success.

What Is a Computer Worm?

Some viruses are frustrating to get rid of, but worms are catastrophic. They may destroy a computer from the inside out. Often, they spread through a connection from a website. These self-replicated

and duplicate over and over again inside the computer until they spread throughout the internal systems. They are usually invisible to the user and are in the operating system or crucial programs that run the machine. Once they replicate far enough and infect various systems, the true purpose of the worm may manifest. Some may only delete key files or pieces of systems. However, others are able to wipe out items that are only restorable through a reinstall of the program or application.

The Damage to the Computer

While a single virus destroyed through antivirus may not harm the computer overly, worms could lead to catastrophic failures. It is possible for hardware inside the computer to fry when a worm completes its course and the true purpose emerges. Certain attacks could cause the motherboard to short, hard drives to cycle until they burn out and internet pages to open repeatedly until the RAM is unable to cope. Similar action could damage other programs or wipe them off the device entirely. The personal harm occurs through loss of data and the need to replace the computer. However, it is a business that may face the most devastation when the worm infects the network and spreads to all other machines in the building.

Once the worm causes security protocols to fail, it is able to spread throughout a network and infect any computer connected to the network itself. This is the usual setup in a company, and it may provide the entire business up for the worm. One of the worst possible effects of some worms is to create the backdoor into the company. The controller is then able to access the details or files in the computer once the worm spreads enough. This may not cause harm to the system, but the details of this act may constitute a data breach which may lead to worse damage in the long-term.

The Expert and the Case

When the victim suffers great damage at the hands of the perpetrator, it is important to seek a remedy to the situation. Through an internet expert witness, it is possible to trace the source of the problem in certain circumstances. The expert will discuss with the courtroom how the issue started, what the worm did to the network or single computer and why the damage needs compensation for the company or person to recover. The loss of data, programs or hardware systems is important to the individual or business involved. Sometimes, these issues affect proprietary software or files that are irreplaceable. Then, the damage has no true calculation.

When affecting a business, the worm damage may provide a specific dollar amount for damages. With the help of the internet expert witness discussing these matters with the judge or jury panel, it is possible to inform about the necessity to recover compensation to restore function to the company through computers, networks and any damaged or deleted software.

Internet Expert Witness

The expert may need to clear up confusion about the worm and how it harmed the computer. By doing so, he or she may present enough information for a knowledgeable deliberation. This usually increases chances that the jury or judge will have enough details for a better possibility of success.

Provided by HG.org

Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, it is not intended to provide legal advice as individual situations will differ and should be discussed with an expert and/or lawyer.