Information security experts believe the blurring of the boundaries between computer and biological viruses is not too far-fetched—and could have very real consequences.

The origins of each virus are strikingly different: A computer virus is designed, whereas a biological virus evolves under pressure from natural selection. But what would happen if these origins are switched? Could hackers code for a super-virus, or a computer virus emerge out of the information “wilderness” and evolve over time?