Early in 1992 a virus was discovered programmed to "go off" on March 6th, Michelangelo's birthday. The virus was expected to do widespread damage by destroying files on user's hard drives. It received unprecedented news coverage, warning people of the steps needed to protect their system. Though the virus was designed to be destructive, it actually had a positive effect. The news alerted people to the dangers of viruses and informed them of precautions they could take to protect their systems.
