Worm in Your Computer?

A worm is a virus that does not infect other programs. It duplicates itself and infects additional computers (typically by making use network connections), but it does not attach itself to additional programs; a worm might later, or destroy files and programs.

A computer worm is a type of Trojan that is capable of propagating or replicating itself from one system to another. Typically, a worm spreads across a network through your internet or LAN (Local Area Network) connection.

A Trojan uses trickery and social engineering to deceive people into running it. For example, a Trojan may pretend to be legitimate software. A worm is a type of Trojan because it normally relies on social engineering to attack systems.

A computer worm is a type of malware whose primary function is to self-replicate and infect other computers while remaining active on infected systems. A computer worm duplicates itself to spread t uninfected computers. It can spread through email attachments, text messages, file-sharing programs, social networking sites, network shares, removable drives, and software vulnerabilities.

Why do hackers use worms?

The worm is a standalone malicious program which spreads from computer to computer, but unlike virus, it has a capability to travel without human action. A worm take advantage of file or information transport features on the system, which is what allows it to travel unaided.

What is the impact of a computer worm?

Worms typically cause harm to their host networks by consuming bandwidth and overloading web servers. Computer worms can also contain "payloads" that damage host computers. Payloads are pieces of code written to perform actions on affected computers beyond simply spreading the worm.

Why is a computer worm different from a virus?

The primary difference between a virus and a worm is that viruses must be triggered by the activation of their host; whereas worms are stand-alone malicious programs that can replicate and propagate independently as soon as they have breached the system.

What is an example of a computer worm?

A worm virus is a computer virus that can self-replicate, mostly without human intervention. Other kinds of computer viruses rely more on curiosity or user naïveté to spread. Some worms have caused billions in damages. Here is a list of some infamous ones:

* Morris Worm: Also known as the Internet worm, this was one of the first computer worms to spread in the Internet and earn notoriety in the media.

* Bagle: Also known as Beagle, Mitglieder, and Lodeight, this mass-mailing worm had many variants.

* Blaster: Also known as MSBlast, Lovesan, and Loosen, this worm attacked computers running Windows XP and Windows 2000.

*. Conflicker: Also known as Downup, Downadup, and Kido, this worm exploited flaws in Windows to infect millions of computers in over a hundred countries.

*. ILOVEYOU: The ILOVEYOU worm infected tens of millions of computers globally, resulting in billions of dollars in damage.

Symptoms of a Computer Worm

Many of the symptoms of a computer worm are like that of a computer virus. For example, you may have a computer worm if your computer slows down, freezes, crashes or throws up error messages. You may also notice that files are missing or corrupted or that your hard drive's space is rapidly depleting inexplicably. Additionally, you may sealers from your firewall about a breach.

How To Stop Computer Worms

Like other forms of malware - computer worms can be stopped with the right antivirus and anti-malware software and safe computing practices. Please don't entertain suspicious links, emails, texts, messages, websites, P2P file networks, and drives. Also, update your essential software regularly to shield your computer from vulnerabilities like the wormable Windows flag and the like.

(Ref: Wikipedia; Kaspersky.com; Malwarebytes)