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Unlike viruses, which by definition require some sort of action to occur in order to trigger, worms are entirely self replicating. Worms effectively use the power of networks, and speed to spread very dangerous and effective pieces of malware.
Worms are an advanced form of malware, compared to viruses, and have different goals. One of the main characteristics of worms is their inherent ability to replicate and spread across networks extremely quickly.
Most worms share certain features that help define how they work and what they can do
Worms might also perform the following actions
A worm can be considered a special type of malware that can replicate and consume memory, but at the same time it does not typically attach itself to other applications or software.
A worm spreads through infected networks automatically and only requires that a host is vulnerable. A virus does not have this ability.
Worms are an advanced form of malware, compared to viruses, and have different goals. One of the main characteristics of worms is their inherent ability to replicate and spread across networks extremely quickly.
Most worms share certain features that help define how they work and what they can do
- Do not require a host application to perform their activities
- Do not necessarily require any user interaction, direct or otherwise, to function
- Replicate extremely rapidly across networks and hosts
- Consume bandwidth and resources
Worms might also perform the following actions
- Transmit information from a victim system back to another location specified by the programmer
- Carry a payload, such as a virus, and drop off this payload on multiple systems rapidly
A worm can be considered a special type of malware that can replicate and consume memory, but at the same time it does not typically attach itself to other applications or software.
A worm spreads through infected networks automatically and only requires that a host is vulnerable. A virus does not have this ability.