In order to spread, computer worms use vulnerabilities in networks. The worm is looking for a back door to penetrate the network unnoticed. To get computer worms into circulation for the first time, hackers often send phishing e-mails or instant messages with malicious attachments. Cyber criminals try to camouflage the worm so that the recipient is willing to run the program. For this purpose, for example, double file extensions are used and / or a data name that looks harmless or urgent, such as “invoice”. When the user opens the attachment or link, they will immediately download the malware (computer worm) into the system or be directed to a dangerous website. In this way, the worm finds its way into the user’s system without them noticing. Once executed, the worm seeks a way to replicate and penetrate other systems. One way of doing this, for example, is for the worm to send an email to all contacts on the infected computer, which contains replicas of the worm.
#Worm virus definition full#
The term “computer worm” was first used in 1975 in the novel “The Shockwave Rider” by John Brunner. In this novel, the protagonist of the story creates a worm that collects data. In the early days of computer science, worms were designed to exploit a system’s vulnerabilities. Instead of seriously damaging the infected computers, they just kept multiplying in the background. Today, however, the purpose of computer worms has changed. Today, attackers often use them to gain full access to their victims’ computers.Ĭomputers connected to a network are susceptible to various forms of malware, including computer worms. A computer worm is malware that reproduces itself and spreads over network connections. The computer worm does not usually infect computer files, but rather infects another computer on the network. This is done by the worm replicating itself. The worm passes this ability on to its replica, which allows it to infect other systems in the same way. The difference between computer worms and viruses can also be found here. Computer worms are stand-alone programs that replicate themselves and run in the background, while viruses require a host file to infect.