Is there such a thing as a vairus 'timebomb'?

While browsing through a trusted website (BBC) on Saturday morning looking through the football news, I got several virus warnings from Avast. So I disconected from the internet as there were several windows trying to open, and immediately started to scan. Avast found 2 trojans, and SAS found 25 infections ranging from trojan droppers, trojans and malware. I restarted the computer to fully remove infections, but upon start up the virus' seemed to attack my antivirus programs (Malwarebytes, SAS and Avast) all would not work. So I did a format and fresh install.
Anyway my query is: Can a virus be used in a 'timebomb' like manner, and be programmed to go off, on a particular time / day.

Cheers.

 

Yes, but I doubt that is what happened to you. Sounds like a flyby infection.

The site you were on or perhaps an ad served by the site.

 

In case you were having any doubts I agree with what this poster said. It may have been easier to boot into safe mode where the virus may not be operating and use your antivirus solutions to defeat it before they are made useless. Keep this in mind for the future. Also, it is called a logic bomb, as a time bomb is something else completely.

 

Thanks guys.
Yeh I should have scanned in safe mode, but I didn't do this because I had uninstalled Malwarebytes then reinstalled it again and it still wouldn't work, and therefore wasn't prepared to take the risk, (I think I kind of paniced as I have never had an infection as big).So I just went for the clean install. Thanks again for the feedback.

 

very strange especially from the bbc website. i would contact their webmaster to report it if your brave enough to go back on the site.

 

Yes MrDJ, I found this strange too, which was why I posted the question of a virus being programed to go off at particular time.