Three reasons to worry about worms
Worms are a type of malware similar to viruses in that it is self-replicating. However, worms don’t generally attach themselves to applications.
Why should you worry about worms?
- They create zombies: Worms are often used to create backdoors into websites and poorly secured IoT devices, they can then recruit these into the botnets
- They damage your reputation: Other payloads within worms can be used for sending spam or performing DDoS attacks
- Infecting potential customers: Cross-site scripting vulnerabilities are commonly exploited in the form of worms on popular CMS systems and are used to infect users visiting your site
A computer worm is a self-replicating computer program that penetrates an operating system with the intent of spreading malicious code.
Worms utilize networks to send copies of the original code to other computers, causing harm by consuming bandwidth or possibly deleting files or sending documents via email.
Worms can also install malware and spyware on computers. Worms are often confused with computer viruses; the difference is how they are spread.
Computer worms self-replicate and spread across networks, exploiting vulnerabilities.
Common modes of connected transport for computer worms include attachments,social media, click bait and links to infected websites. Since worms exploit vulnerabilities, it’s vital to stay on top of security updates and patches.
Security software is highly recommended for all computers, as is the additional precaution of a firewall.
