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Computer viruses were software programs used to infect computers for various reasons, usually malicious.
History[]
3rd millenium B.C.[]
In 2700 BC, Utnapishtim created a computer virus to destroy Qataka, but did not have time to perfect it and it only broke her links with her mind-slaves. After learning she had survived, he used a perfected version against her, but she had already safeguarded herself and was only temporarily immobilised. (PROSE: Timewyrm: Genesys)
21st century[]
In 2000, a computer virus was released by the Cybermen which destroyed all the vowels in Earth's computer systems. (PROSE: Vrs) This virus was eradicated by P.R.O.B.E. as the other organisations, such as the groups from Geneva and Canary Wharf, were, by Louise Bayliss's knowledge, were "nowhere to be seen". (PROSE: The Last Dose)
RUFFCUT was a particularily malignant virus that masqueraded as enticing files to download after learning the target user's file-downloading habits, which, when downloaded would releases a "catastrophic payload". Its presence slowed the whole Internet down, and on 10 March 2005, UNIT released a press briefing about the virus, and, even within just the preceding hour, and shut down multiple government systems, a hospital, and the traffic system in Lisbon. (PROSE: Computer Virus File Sharing Alert)
On 7 March 2006, the Ninth Doctor gave Mickey Smith a computer virus that would erase all evidence of his existence from the Internet. (TV: World War Three [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) Feeling that the Doctor didn't have the right to make such a decision for humanity, Mickey decided against using the virus, though he was prepared to do so if the Doctor proved enough of a danger. (PROSE: Hoax This! [+]BBC webteam, Who is Doctor Who? (BBC, 2005).)
A Bad Wolf virus at some point erased all information on Rose Tyler from the Torchwood database. (TV: Love & Monsters)
In the 2000s,[nb 1] cyberterrorists used the Armageddon virus to bring down the international banking network. The virus was later used by Alan Jackson to reprogram Mr Smith. (TV: The Lost Boy)
In 2008 Leadworth, the Eleventh Doctor wrote a computer virus on a mobile phone. It caused all computers and networks around the world to reset their counters and display only the number zero, to alert the Atraxi of Prisoner Zero's presence. It was also, according to the Doctor, "a tiny bit alive". (TV: The Eleventh Hour)
In 2009, Ian Webster created the locust virus to take control over his former bullies. The Umorgus wanted to use the virus to take control over the whole world. The virus was destroyed by Sarah Jane Smith and her friends. (AUDIO: Deadly Download)
41st century[]
Devela tried to claim insurance money after infecting the Traffic Control system of Metrolos with a virus that disrupted the traffic flow in one of the planet's cities. (COMIC: Road Rage)
46th century and beyond[]
In the 46th century, after being revived in the Dalek-Movellan War, Davros created a computer virus that targeted the First Movellan, it spreading throughout the Movellan network to all aboard the Prime Ship. The Tenth Doctor forced the Prime Ship to reboot however, cutting it off from the larger network long enough for the First to purge the virus. Inspired, the Movellans developed their own virus to target the Dalek mutant directly. (AUDIO: The Triumph of Davros)
On 5 October 5087, the Fifteenth Doctor utilised the artificial intelligence of John Francis Vater to reprogram the Villengard Ambulances to treat anyone, even if they had not been ordained by the Church. The firewall built into the system identified Vater as a computer virus and attempted to purge it, but was ultimately unsuccessful. (TV: Boom [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 14 (BBC One and Disney+, 2024).)
In the 53rd century, (COMIC: Fire and Brimstone, PROSE: Kalendorf) the Seventh Doctor once used a computer virus to wipe out the Daleks on the planet Manikis. (PROSE: Natalie's Diary)
Footnotes[]
- ↑ No on screen date is given for the first two series of The Sarah Jane Adventures, outside of The Day of the Clown from the second series being set shortly after 9 October in an undisclosed year. While Donna Noble's present from the fourth series of Doctor Who is set around the same time as the first series of The Sarah Jane Adventures, and The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith from the second series of The Sarah Jane Adventures is explicitly described as being set a year after Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? from the first series, Doctor Who's fourth series is not consistently dated, with TV: The Fires of Pompeii, TV: The Waters of Mars, and AUDIO: SOS setting the present of the 13 regular episodes in 2008, and PROSE: Beautiful Chaos setting them in about April to June 2009.