It is getting out of control with all the Viruses (I believe companies create in order to create a business).
Viruses are not created by antivirus companies, if that's what you mean. There's no way an antivirus company would risk it--they're not going to risk having a large corporation like Symantec go bankrupt, and having all the executives sent to prison. Besides, there's no need. There are zero Mac viruses, yet people still buy Mac antivirus software!
Computer viruses are not written by random vandals, antivirus companies, or bored kids; they are written by dedicated, organized professionals, often associated with Russian or Eastern European organized crime, for the purpose of profit.
Almost all modern computer viruses are written to take control of the infected computer. Lists of infected computers are then sold to spammers. The spammers seize control of the infected computers and pump spam through them.
These viruses do more than just let the virus writers send spam through them. They also sift through the computer looking for things like bank account information, eBay information, and so on, which is sent back to the virus writer.
Computer viruses have become one of the top moneymakers for Russian organized crime. One person in particular, Leo Kuvayev (head of the so-called "Russian spam gang") works closely with Russian mafia writing computer viruses which infect computers and install mail servers on them. Leo then sends large amounts of spam through these infected servers, advertising everything from fake "penis pills" to so-called "OEM" pirated software. He also sells lists of infected computers to other spammers, and to people who make money via extortion, using networks of virus-infected computers to attack popular Web sites and then demand payment from the owners of those sites.
In some cases, viruses install compact Web server software on the infected computers without the owner's knowledge. When you receive those fake emails trying to con you out of your PayPal password or your bank account number by telling you your account is suspended and sending you to a Web site that looks just like PayPal or a bank, odds are good the Web site you are seeing is hosted on a virus-infected computer.
With so much money inn computer viruses--it is now more profitable for Eastern European organized crime than more traditional ventures like drugs and prostitution--there's no shortage of computer viruses. The antivirus companies don't make the viruses; they don't have to.
