If I was to spread a virus over the internet but it was harmless, is that illegal?

If I made a virus that sent itself to other people and tried to spread itself from computer to computer—even if the only action of the virus (besides spreading itself) is just to create a new text file on that person's computer that says "haha, you got hacked" and does nothing else whatsoever, is that illegal? I read that you're liable for any damages you cause, but a virus like the one I described is harmless. Does anyone actually know anything about this? If I did something like this, could I go to jail? This is the first thing that shows up on google when I search for info about this, but it's not very helpful: https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001196.htm#:~:text=No.,for%20any%20damages%20it%20causes.

submitted by /u/EcstaticBicycle
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from hacking: security in practice https://ift.tt/rqOJ4sT

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