11 Malware Attacks That Nearly Wrecked the Internet

Viruses! Worms! Trojan Horses! Spyware! Adware!

All of these types of malware can wreak havoc on your computer. They jeopardize your files, hold your documents hostage, and plug your computer into botnets that spam the website you know and love. Since the dawn of the internet, hackers have been looking for ways to take advantage of its weaknesses, and internet security officials have been hot on their trail.

This week, Popular Mechanics is celebrating Internet Week, so we’ve compiled a list of the oddest, scariest, fastest-spreading and most expensive malware attacks in history. Hopefully none of these sound too familiar.