Worm

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What Does Worm Mean?

A worm is a type of malicious software (malware) that replicates while moving across computers, leaving copies of itself in the memory of each computer in its path.

Techopedia Explains Worm

A worm locates a computer’s vulnerability and spreads within its connected network like an infection, while continually seeking new vulnerabilities. Like viruses, worms often originate from e-mail attachments that appear to be from trusted senders. Worms then spread to a user’s contacts via his e-mail account and address book.

Some worms spread and then do nothing while tthers cause harm. In such cases, the worm’s code is known as payload.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.

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