What Is A Computer Worm
A computer worm is maybe the worst malware you can get into your computer system. Like a computer virus a worm can replicate itself, but a virus need a host program to spread itself, while a worm can spread without a host. That makes a worm very dangerous when it infects a computer or a network. Both viruses and worms can delete and corrupt files and programs, but a worm can also spread across networks and cause a lot of damage in a very short time. A worm can theoretically infect the internet and cripple it in hours, because the internet is also a big network. There is a very strong security that protects networks, but it’s a constant struggle between malware developers and internet security developers to beat each other.
How To Remove A Computer Worm?
A worm usually infects computer networks and a virus infects single computers. A network is nothing more than a big computer with more storage and functions that it makes available for multiple single computers. Another word for the computer central in a network is the server. If a worm gets inside the server, it can replicate itself and consume a massive amount of memory and processor resources, and that will make the server so busy that it can’t run its regular processes and programs. But if you think that’s bad enough, think again because a worm can do much more damage that just eating up memory and overwhelm the computer system.
A worm can also act like a malware carrier, and bring Spyware, Trojans and viruses along the way as it travels through the networks. Spyware and Trojans can secretly install programs that will monitor single computers on the network and then send information to the hackers. A hacker can use that information to send spam and even steal personal information like bank details etc, from the computer user. A worm is the biggest threat to network administrators because it abuse server resources and stop functions that the server need to work properly. But for a single computer user, the worm’s payload is the biggest threat. A virus can cause a lot of damage to a single computer user.
Because of all the trouble a worm can do, it’s important to protect computers and networks from being infected. Make sure you got a properly configured firewall. You can set your firewall to restrict network traffic and you can also cloak your computer. A cloaked computer is invisible on a network, and that will obviously keep worms and other malware away from the computer. To protect your computer, do not open an e-mail or download an email attachment from unknown sources, or if a message looks weird, do not open it, even if it’s from a friend. Hackers use e-mails to spread malware and often they hack and use other peoples email addresses to camouflage their intent.
For a normal computer user, the firewall that’s integrated with Windows is usually enough. Make sure you got a good anti-virus protection installed and an extra Spyware removal tool is also good to have. More experienced users that need more security should always use a third party firewall to customize their protection. Don’t let evil people steal your data and wreak havoc with your computer, check your protection and get more if you need it.
