Worm or Virus...What's the Difference?

Everyone has been infected with a virus at one time or another either through the common cold or the flu. A virus attacks the human body by entering through one of the many openings and attaching itself to a host cell. It releases a piece of genetic information into the cell and recruits the cell’s enzymes to propagate the genetic information. Once the genetic code has been adequately replicated, it destroys the cell and attacks cells nearby.

How does a computer virus simulate a biological virus? Just as a biological virus injects its own genetic information into a cell and interferes with the body’s normal operations, a computer virus is a program written to interfere with the proper functioning of a computer. It may damage programs, delete files, reformat hard disks and perform other forms of destructive acts.

To be classified as a virus, a program must meet two criteria. It must be able to execute itself by placing its own code in the execution path of another program. The program must also be able to replicate itself by replacing existing computer files with copies of the virus-infected files. Similar to the way a biological virus requires a host cell, a computer virus requires an infected host file to propagate itself.

Viruses have become the villains of the computer world, propagating themselves and destroying everything in their path. However, another tool of destruction, known as the worm, has been creeping into the computer industry. Most of us have heard of the dreaded Blaster worm that attacks Microsoft websites, but what exactly is a worm and how does it differ from a virus? Actually, a worm is a type of virus that attacks the computer in a method differing from the way a typical virus attacks a computer. Unlike the typical virus, the worm does not require a host program to propagate. A worm enters a computer through a weakness in the computer system and propagates itself using network flaws.

The typical virus requires activation through user intervention, such as double clicking or sending outgoing email. However, a worm releases a document containing the “worm” macro and sends copies of itself to other computers through network flaws, therefore bypassing any need for user intervention.

So, what can you do to protect your computer from virus infection? There are a number of preventative measures that you can take. For example, you can purchase and continually update virus scan software. Make sure that this software contains the “real-time” scanning feature which monitors all incoming and outgoing mail. You may also install a firewall which prohibits unauthorized access to your computer. By installing these preventative devices, you can proactively defend against viruses.

Is My Computer Infected?

How can you tell if your computer has a virus? There are warning signs that your computer may be infected with a virus. For minor viruses, you may encounter strange messages, images, noises or music on your computer. An infected computer may have less memory available, or you may notice name changes. A computer infected with a virus may be missing programs, or files may malfunction. If you encounter any of these characteristics on your computer, you are most likely experiencing an attack from a virus.

Is there any hope? How can you protect your computer from viruses? If you do not have any virus software on your computer now, consider installing some soon. Be sure to update your anti-virus software regularly; this way you’ll be protected from new viruses that crop up.

Use your software to scan for viruses weekly. Don’t open emails from unknown sources, and be cautious when opening attachments—even attachments from people you trust. Hyper vigilance requires you to contact the sender and confirm the attachment before you open it, but this is too much. Just be aware. It Aunt Gertrude typically includes a newsly, well-written letter with the jokes she sends, and this attachment email from her comes with: “Open this now, baby!” alarm bells should go off. Don’t open it.

Constantly back up your data in case a virus attacks your hard drive and you need to reformat. Better yet, set up your computer to automatically back up your data weekly so that you don’t have to worry about this chore.

What Should I do if I have a Virus?

What do I do if I find out that I have a virus on my computer? Know that it’s not the end of the world. As a courtesy, contact everyone (by phone, preferably) you have been connected by email to warn them possible exposure to the virus right away.

Clean your computer with anti-virus software. If your computer is still not functioning and you have data you are concerned about recovering, consider hiring a trusted expert. Often data can be successfully extracted from an injured hard drive, but the process is complex and will involve another computer, special software, and a technician with a lot of experience in data recovery.

As a last resort, reformat your hard drive, even if it means destroying all of the information located there. Reinstall the software and data using your backup files.