Self-propagating malicious code.

Prepare for the Federal IT Security Professional Exam. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready for your certification!

Multiple Choice

Self-propagating malicious code.

Self-propagating malware is designed to spread to other systems on its own, without someone needing to open a file or run a program. That behavior is the hallmark of a worm: it exploits network vulnerabilities or other propagation methods to copy itself to new machines and continue spreading autonomously. A virus, by contrast, attaches to a host file and typically requires the user to execute or activate the infected host for it to spread. A Trojan disguises itself as legitimate software to trick users into installing it, but it does not replicate by itself. A rootkit focuses on hiding its presence and maintaining privileged access, not on self-propagation.

Self-propagating malware is designed to spread to other systems on its own, without someone needing to open a file or run a program. That behavior is the hallmark of a worm: it exploits network vulnerabilities or other propagation methods to copy itself to new machines and continue spreading autonomously.

A virus, by contrast, attaches to a host file and typically requires the user to execute or activate the infected host for it to spread. A Trojan disguises itself as legitimate software to trick users into installing it, but it does not replicate by itself. A rootkit focuses on hiding its presence and maintaining privileged access, not on self-propagation.

More practice questions