Difference Between a Virus and a Worm | Antivirus

Today, computer worms affect computers more than viruses. In this way, antivirus, which, as their name suggests, had been designed to fight viruses, have had to implement changes to protect against worms as well. But what is the difference between a virus and a worm? It is true that they are very similar, but they are not the same. Next, we show you the difference between the two.

What is a Virus?

A computer virus is a software that runs by itself and is spread by infecting copies of itself other programs or documents hosted on the affected computer. But in addition, it can be attached to a program or file that is shared with other computers, infecting them as well.

They are called viruses because they mimic the behavior of human viruses and there are different types: some can cause small errors while others cause serious damage to your hardware, software, or files, which can have serious consequences for your computer. The greatest danger of viruses is that they reproduce uncontrollably, affecting many resources on the PC.

You must be clear that the vast majority of viruses are incorporated into an executable file, this means that in order for the virus to act on your computer, you must run or open the file or program in which it is located.

Today viruses spread very easily since they are shared too many times by virtualizing certain content, that is, by sending infected files or emails. The code that is infected from the file is called the host.

You should also know that certain viruses have a delayed load that is usually called a bomb, which means that some viruses can display a message in one day, but in other cases, they do not do so until after a certain time.

What is a Worm?

A computer worm, also known as worn, passes from one computer to another and spreads easily without the intervention of any person, it does so through a file. Due to its ability to duplicate itself, it could create an infinite number of copies and cause serious damage to your computer in a short time.

It should be borne in mind that once it spreads through the system it begins to occupy a large part of its memory, which causes the computer to stop working normally.

What is the Difference Between a Virus and a Worm?

There are a number of differences between a virus and a worm and these are the most prominent:

• Worms spread faster than viruses.
• Worms use computer networks to spread, viruses for their part do so through executable files.
• Viruses don't need human intervention, worms do.
• Worms damage resources, viruses damage or destroy files on your computer.
• Worms are independent files that are inside the memory of the infected computer. Viruses are executable files that in some cases are attached to other executable files.
• Worms hog bandwidth, deleting files, or sending emails, while viruses modify or damage data.

And, now you know the difference between a virus and a worm, try to prevent the problems derived from the attack of one of them on your computer At  Protegent360 we offer all kinds of computer security services and, if you want more information, you just have to contact us. We have a team of professionals who will be happy to help you.