Question

1. Describe at least three ways computer viruses can spread.

2. Explain why computer worms are bigger threat to computer security than computer viruses.

Answer 1

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Computer viruses usually spread in one of three ways: from removable media; from downloads off the Internet; and from e-mail attachments.

Although the Internet gets a bad rap as a source of viruses, you’re no more likely to contract a virus from the Web than you are from packaged software. Still, scan everything you download, and update your antivirus software regularly.

E-mail is not the virus breeding ground it’s made out to be, either. In fact, it’s nearly impossible for a virus to be transmitted by plain-text e-mail. Most viruses can only spread via attachments — either rich-text e-mail or attached applications. Using antivirus software, scan attachments from people you know, and never open attachments from people you don’t. If you’re a Microsoft Outlook user, you can also select security preferences that keep e-mail-borne viruses from exploiting the close relationship between Outlook and the Windows operating system.

A computer worm is a standalone malware computer program that replicates itself in order to spread to other computers. Often, it uses a computer network to spread itself, relying on security failures on the target computer to access it. Worms almost always cause at least some harm to the network, even if only by consuming bandwidth, whereas viruses almost always corrupt or modify files on a targeted computer.

Many worms are designed only to spread, and do not attempt to change the systems they pass through. However, as the Morris worm and Mydoom showed, even these "payload-free" worms can cause major disruption by increasing network traffic and other unintended effects.

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