Threats

Virus vs Worm: Viruses are dormant until their host file is activated. Worms are malware that self-replicate & propagate independently once in the system.

Over the years, malicious software – or malware – has developed into an extremely serious threat that can place your computer… your precious files, photos, music and financial information… your money… and your children… at risk. However, there are steps you can take to ensure you don’t become a victim of today’s increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks and Internet security threats.

A computer virus or a computer worm is a malicious software program that can self-replicate on computers or via computer networks – without you being aware that your machine has become infected...

In Summer 2015, the University of Virginia computer network was the site of a new hacking attack tied to foreign intelligence operatives. The university has long-standing ties to the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies, making it a natural target for espionage hacks. As a result, UVA shut down its servers for two days, but reported that no student, faculty, or staff personal information (like Social Security numbers) was compromised.

Svchost.exe actually stands for "service host," and it is a file used by many Windows applications. Despite this, it often is mistaken as a virus because malware authors have been known to attach malicious files to the svchost.exe service to prevent detection.

When it comes to cybersecurity, there are few terms with more name recognition than "computer viruses." Despite the prevalence of these threats and their wide-spread impact, however, many users don't know about the basic nature of viruses.