The Difference

between a
Computer Virus
and Computer
Worm
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REPORTED BY: DONNABELLE G. MEDINA -MAEDSS

 Viruses and worms are often used
interchangeably: there are a few key differences
in how they work. Both viruses and worms are a
type of malware: a worm is a type of virus.
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 A computer virus is a malicious piece
What is a of computer code designed to spread

computer from device to device. A subset of

malware, these self-copying threats are
virus? usually designed to damage a device or
steal data.
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 Some computer viruses are
programmed to harm your computer by
damaging programs, deleting files, or
What does a reformatting the hard drive. Others
simply replicate themselves or flood a
computer virus network with traffic, making it
do? impossible to perform any internet
activity. Even less harmful computer
viruses can significantly disrupt your
system’s performance, sapping
computer memory and causing
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frequent computer crashes.

 In 2013, the botnet virus Gameover ZueS was discovered
to use peer-to-peer downloading sites to distribute
ransomware and commit banking fraud. While tens of
thousands of computer viruses still roam the internet, they
have diversified their methods and are now joined by a
number of malware variants like worms, Trojans,
and ransomware.
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 Even if you’re careful, you can pick up
computer viruses through normal Web
activities like:  
● Sharing music, files, or photos with other
How does a users
● Visiting an infected website
computer get a ● Opening spam email or an email attachment
● Downloading free games, toolbars, media
virus? players and other system utilities
● Installing mainstream software applications
without thoroughly reading license
agreements
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 Viruses can be spread several ways,
How do including via networks, discs, email
attachments or external storage devices
computer like USB sticks. Since connections
viruses spread? between devices were once far more
limited than today, early computer
viruses were commonly spread through
infected floppy disks.
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 What are the symptoms of a computer virus?
Your computer may be infected if you recognize any of these malware symptoms:

Slow computer performance Frequent computer crashes

Erratic computer behavior

Unexplained data loss

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 How are computer viruses
removed?
Antiviruses have made great
progress in being able to
identify and prevent the
spread of computer viruses.
When a device does become
infected, though, installing an
antivirus solution is still your
best bet for removing it.
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Once installed, most software will
conduct a “scan” for the
malicious program. Once located,
the antivirus will present options
for its removal. If this is not
something that can be done
automatically, some security
vendors offer a technician’s
assistance in removing the virus
free of charge.
 Examples of computer viruses
In 2013, the botnet virus Gameover ZueS was discovered to use peer-to-peer downloading sites
to distribute ransomware and commit banking fraud. While tens of thousands of computer
viruses still roam the internet, they have diversified their methods and are now joined by several
malware variants like:

Worms - A worm is a type of Trojans - As in the myth, a Ransomware -

virus that, unlike traditional
viruses, usually does not
require the action of a user to
spread from device to device.
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Trojan is a virus that hides
within a legitimate-seeming
program to spread itself
across networks or devices
Ransomware is a type of
malware that encrypts a
user’s files and demands a
ransom for its return.
Ransomware can be, but
isn’t necessarily, spread
through computer viruses.
 Computer
virus
protection
When you arm yourself with
information and resources,
you’re wiser about computer
security threats and less
vulnerable to threat tactics.
Take these steps to safeguard
your PC with the best
computer virus protection: 
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 1. Use antivirus protection and a firewall
2. Get antispyware software
3. Always keep your antivirus protection and
antispyware software up-to-date
4. Update your operating system regularly
5. Increase your browser security settings
6. Avoid questionable Websites
7. Only download software from sites you trust.
8. Carefully evaluate free software and file-
sharing applications before downloading them.  
9. Don't open messages from unknown senders
Immediately delete messages you suspect to be
spam
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 A computer worm is a malicious piece
of software that replicates itself from
one computer to another with the goal
of overtaking the entire network of
What is a computers. Most worms are designed

computer to infiltrate systems by exploiting their

security failures, while very few also
worm? try to change the system settings. Even
if they don’t, they are still very
dangerous as they take up a lot of
bandwidth and other valuable
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resources.
 If a worm is indeed malicious and not just used to
breach the system security, the code designed to carry
out the attack is referred to as the payload. Payloads
are usually created to change or delete files on a target
network, extract personal data from them, or encrypt
them and seek a ransom from the victim.
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 Although there are no official statistics
available, it is safe to say that there are
well over a million computer worms in

Computer the world, each designed for a specific

purpose. Many of them have been
Worm Types isolated and are now routinely detected
and removed by most of the best
antivirus software. However, new
worms are being developed almost
daily and can sometimes go unnoticed
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by the user until it’s too late.

 There is no universal classification of computer worms, but they can be organized into types based on
how they are distributed between computers. The five common types are as follows:

1. Internet Worms-Like they do with computer networks, computer worms also target popular websites
with insufficient security. When they manage to infect the site, internet worms can replicate
themselves onto any computer being used to access the website in question. From there, internet
worms are distributed to other connected computers through the internet and local area network
connections.
2. Email Worms-Email worms are most often distributed via compromised email attachments. They
usually have double extensions (for example, .mp4.exe or .avi.exe) so that the recipient would think
that they are media files and not malicious computer programs. When the victims click on the
attachment, copies of the same infected file will automatically be sent to addresses from their contacts
list.
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 There is no universal classification of computer worms, but they can be organized into types based on
how they are distributed between computers. The five common types are as follows:

3. Instant Messaging Worms-Instant messaging worms are exactly the same as email worms, the only
difference being their method of distribution. Once again, they are masked as attachments or
clickable links to websites. They are often accompanied by short messages like “LOL” or “You have
to see this!” to trick the victim into thinking that their friend is sending them a funny video to look at.
4. File-Sharing Worms-Although illegal, file-sharing and peer-to-peer file transfers are still used by
millions of people around the world. Doing so, they are unknowingly exposing their computers to the
threat of file-sharing worms. Like email and instant messaging worms, these programs are disguised
as media files with dual extensions.
5. IRC Worms-Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a messaging app that is mostly outdated nowadays but was
all the rage at the turn of the century. Same as with today’s instant messaging platforms, computer
worms were distributed via messages containing links and attachments. The latter was less effective
due to an extra layer of protection that prompted users to accept incoming files before any transfer
could take place.
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 Computer Worm Examples

Jerusalem, the first known computer worm, was discovered

in 1987. Since then, other computer worms have made the
news, either because of their devastating effects or due to the
sheer scale of the attack. Some of the most notorious
examples of computer worms include the following:
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 ● The Morris Worm was launched in 1988 by Robert Morris, an American student who wanted to
discover how big the internet really was. To do this, he launched a few dozen lines of code, but he
didn’t know that the code was riddled with bugs that would cause a variety of problems on affected
hosts. The result was thousands of overloaded computers running on UNIX and a financial damage
ranging between $10 million and $100 million.
● The Storm Worm is an email worm launched in 2007. Victims would receive emails with a fake
news report about an unprecedented storm wave that had already killed hundreds of people across
Europe. More than 1.2 billion of these emails were sent over the course of ten years in order to create
a botnet that would target popular websites. Experts believe that there are still at least a million
infected computers whose owners don’t know that they are part of a botnet
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 ● SQL Slammer was unique in that it didn’t utilize any of the traditional distribution
methods. Instead, it generated a number of random IP addresses and sent itself out to
them in hopes that they weren’t protected by antivirus software. Soon after it hit in 2003,
the result was more than 75,000 infected computers unknowingly involved in DDoS
attacks on several major websites.
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 How to Remove a
Computer Worm
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 Only the best antivirus software can help detect and
remove certain types of computer worms. If you
suspect your computer may have been infected, it is
important to run a scan and remove compromised files
from your system immediately.
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 Because worms exploit system and software vulnerabilities,
you need to make sure that you’re always using the most recent
versions of applications. Turn on automatic updates of your
operating system to ensure that your computer is protected
from worms and other potential threats. Don’t click on any
links or open any attachments unless you are absolutely sure

they were sent by your friends and not a worm .

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 Finally, to make sure that your computer stays safe
online, you need to invest in the best antivirus
software (like Norton, BitDefender, Intego or Panda).
The right choice of software will help provide real-
time protection for your computer and fend off all
threats, including worms, viruses, malware, spyware,
and ransomware.
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 you!
Thank
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