Instead, it simply clones itself over and over again and spreads via a network (say, the Internet, a local area network at home, or a company’s intranet) to other systems where it continues to replicate itself. Where a worm differs from a virus is that it typically doesn’t infect or manipulate files on its own. What exactly is a computer worm?Ī computer worm is a form of malware, just like its more notorious cousin, the virus. Stay vigilant and minimize your risk of infection by learning more about how worms function, the most common ways they spread and how you can stop them dead in their tracks.
Well, when it comes to computer worms (and just about every other ailment, for that matter), prevention is always the best cure. So, worms are very much alive and well in 2017 – but what can you do about it? Mere weeks later, Petya/NotPetya ransomware used a worm to spread within local networks. Indeed, the worm component of WannaCry ransomware made it possible to wreak havoc on computers around the world, infecting more than 200,000 systems in over 150 countries and holding the infected machines ransom for $300 a pop. Little did Morris know how enduring his words would turn out to be.įast forward 30 years and worms are still exploiting vulnerable systems, endlessly replicating themselves and wiggling their way into poorly protected computers. “To demonstrate the inadequacies of current security measures on computer networks by exploiting the security defects that I had discovered.” When asked why he did it, Morris simply replied: released what is widely considered to be the world’s first computer worm (an achievement that earned him three years of probation, 400 hours of community service and a $10,500 fine). During his first year at Cornell in 1988, Robert Tappan Morris Jr.