The difference between a virus and a worm
What is the difference between a virus and a worm?
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Michael S. Mimoso, Editorial Director
Viruses and worms are cousins in the malware world. Today it is
common to find malware that includes the characteristics of both these
once relatively distinct species.
Although there is constant debate in the research world about what
constitutes a virus vs. a worm, I like to use the following as a base-line:
Virus -- a program that self-replicates.
Worm -- a program that propagates without action from a user or
program -- no host is required.
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This was first published in July 2001