A Joke program is an ordinary executable program with normally no malicious intent.
Virus authors create joke programs for making fun of computer users. They do not intend
to destroy data but some inexperienced users may inadvertently perform actions that
can lead to data loss (such as restoring files from an older backup, formatting the
drive, or deleting files).
Since joke programs are ordinary executable programs, they will not infect other programs,
nor will they do any damage to the computer system or its data. Sometimes, joke programs
may temporarily reconfigure the mouse, keyboard, or other devices. However, after
a joke program finishes its execution or the user reboots the machine, the computer
returns to its original state. Joke programs, while normally harmless, can be costly
to an organization.