Malware: Fighting Malicious Code

Summary

Worms are self-replicating software that spread via networks. Typically, worms do not require human interaction to propagate. A single instance of a worm installed on one machine is called a segment of the worm. Although both are examples of self-replicating code, worms differ from viruses, and the terms should not be used interchangeably. The defining characteristic of a worm is its spread across a network. The defining characteristic of a virus is that it infects a host file.

Worms let attackers achieve several goals, including taking over vast numbers of systems, making traceback more difficult, and amplifying damage. With 10,000 worm segments working together in launching a scan, flooding a target, or cracking an encryption key, the ...