A computer worm is a program written by a computer programmer or hacker that can reproduce, execute independently and travel across the network connection. Computer worms doe not require a host file or the transfer or files between computers to reproduce and travel like a virus. Instead, it can reproduce and travel without anything or the help of other programs. This evidently makes it one of the most dangerous security and malware hazard for computers in the world. Computer worms are skilled at destroying your crucial files, slowing down your computer and even completely obliterate some programs. Without the proper protection, computer worms can slip into you computer and slowly deteriorate it. Computer Worms can be prevented by some security programs.
The first computer worm programmed was by Robert Tappan Morris, a Cornell University computer scientist, which was unleashed onto the internet in 1988. This computer worm used sendmail, files and rsh/rexec to spread and reproduce throughout the internet. He then became the first to be tried and convicted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. After this incident, computer worms became more frequently seen. SQL worm, Melissa worm and many others were unleashed onto the internet to cause havoc and chaos.
Computer worms can cause great damage to computers and crucial information, but there are also some that may benefit others. Many computer scientists and researchers created worms and sent them into programs to find vulnerabilities that may have been overlooked. There are also the XSS worms which determine the factors on how worms spread, which is then used for research.
Yet the Melissa worm was one of the most destructive worms ever to be unleashed on the internet. This worm would send mass amounts of emails across the web. This eventually clogged up the mailing system of large corporations including Microsoft, thus shutting them down for a period of time. The Melissa worm caused $80 million in damage! David L. Smith, creator of the Melissa worm, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and fined $5000.
