Worms are one of the fastest spreading computer infections. Worms are particularly nasty because they have the ability to self replicate without human interference. Worms can send themselves to other computers. Some worms do this by sending emails without knowing it to contacts in your address book and they can also send themselves through instant messaging. Worms are not always dependent on a user opening a file. This is true with the internet worms that scan the internet for vulnerable computers. These worms attempt to make contact with vulnerable computers and gain full access of them. Worms easily penetrate most firewalls and other networks security measure. Anti-virus software does attempt to battle worms but the success of this depends on your anti-virus and what worm is trying to infect your system. The best way to protect your computer against worms is to have anti-virus software that regularly updates itself and to not open suspicious emails. You should also be cautious when opening email attachments because even a word document can be infected with worms. Like any other infection if you get it there is always a chance that it may crash your computer.
