Update software and operating systems regularly While no worm security measures can guarantee you’ll never be infected, you should do everything you can to protect your network and computers. Worm security: How to protect your computer If you can’t find files you know should be there, or you start seeing weird files that you didn’t create, this could be a sign that a worm is deleting files and depositing nefarious ones on your computer. Erratic performance and slow connection speeds could indicate a worm is disrupting your system performance. If your computer is slow, programs crash, or screens freeze frequently, be on alert. As it continues to replicate, it will eat up more space on your hard drive. If your computer suddenly sends messages that you’re running out of hard drive space, or you notice a big jump in the amount of space occupied when you check your storage capacity, you may be hosting a worm. Programs that open and run automatically, erratic web browser performance, odd sounds and images, warnings from your firewall, system error messages, and emails sent to your contacts without your knowledge are all signs of a possible worm. If your computer is infected, you will quickly see signs that something is wrong. While worms attack without warning, they don’t crawl under the radar for long. Often these files play the music they promise, so the user doesn’t realize the computer is now infected. If you or your employees share copyrighted music files, for example, you have a heightened risk of exposure to a file-sharing worm.Īs with IMs and emails, if you open or listen to the file, you download the worm to your computer. File-sharing wormsīecause file-sharing transfers of copyrighted media files are illegal, file-sharing or peer-to-peer (P2P) worms shouldn’t be a thing. Like the email worm, IM worms send the infected message to the contacts on your phone or computer. They’ll include links or attachments with a short message like “Check this out” or “OMG! Hilarious!” to encourage you to click the link. IM or instant messaging worms are sent through chat channels such as Messenger or WhatsApp. When you click the link, you are sent to a website that starts downloading infected files onto your computer. The filename looks like a typical media file (such as mp4.exe), but when you click on the attachment, it sends the infected attachment to your contact list.īecause we’ve all learned we shouldn’t click on attachments from senders we don’t recognize, hackers have started embedding links in the body of the email. These worms are distributed through - you guessed it - emails. They infiltrate popular websites and replicate themselves on any device used to access that site, then onto any device connected to the initial infected device. Internet worms, or net worms, are especially vile. Increasingly, the worm-infected communications appear legitimate, making it hard to distinguish them from messages sent by friends and colleagues. And despite warnings about clicking links and downloading files, few of us pay attention to every text and email we’re sent. Unfortunately, worm malware is spread through communication means that we all use regularly. They get to work as soon as they have been downloaded, even if a user hasn’t attempted to use a device or program. Worms, however, do not need any human assistance. Then, a user will attempt to use the host, activating the virus to wreak havoc. Most often, a virus is introduced to a system as an attachment or program that needs to be opened, downloaded, or installed on a host. Sometimes, the worm program’s only purpose is to eat up hard drive space and bandwidth to overload and disrupt the network.Ī worm virus is different from other computer viruses. A form of malware, a worm exploits vulnerabilities in security systems to gain access to your systems, then spreads from one computer to the next.Īs the worm malware moves through your network, it can steal sensitive data, corrupt or delete files, or create a “backdoor” that gives a hacker remote access to your network. So, what is a worm? A worm, or worm virus, is a program that replicates itself so it can attack all devices connected to a network. This guide explores worm viruses and lets you know how to spot them and protect your business from them. It’s a challenge to keep them all straight, never mind the steps to take to protect against them. You’re probably familiar with the terminology for bad things hackers do to your computer: malware, ransomware, network worm, advanced persistent threats, brute force attacks, and so many more.
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