The Chernobyl virus turned 27 today, and it could brick your PC in ways modern malware can't by overwriting BIOS firmware

The CIH, or “Chernobyl,” virus marked its 27th anniversary with a reminder of how destructive it was.

It spread via infected executables and software distribution channels, mainly targeting Windows 9x systems.

On April 26, its payload could zero out the first megabyte of disk data and, on some machines, overwrite motherboard BIOS chips.

The malware infected large numbers of PCs, but its impact was limited to certain platforms and hardware configurations.

Its fallout helped shape later security awareness and computer crime policy, including in Taiwan.