Worms1. IntroductionThis report will cover worms, which is a term describing a piece of software that usually falls under the term malware and can sometimes even be used ethically, however it is highly controversial whether it can be given the term "ethical". 2. Definition and Overview First to explain malware, malware is any form of software designed with a malicious purpose in mind. There are three main forms of malware: as mentioned, first there are viruses, the second is the Trojan horse and finally there are worms. Worms and viruses are quite similar and usually designed with similar intentions. However there are some subtle differences between the two which will be covered below3. Difference Between a Worm and a Virus As stated earlier, worms and viruses are very similar forms of malware, however there are few subtle differences, the first and main difference is in the method by which they spread, for example to spread a virus that you would normally attaches itself to an existing piece of software to spread from machine to machine and this would then require a user to interact to spread it. However, a worm is autonomous and does not need to be linked to software: it simply exploits existing security weaknesses to spread. Worms, in more detail Worms, in general, are the most sophisticated forms of malware. They are much more self-sufficient software, as they can infest your network without you lifting a finger. The reason worms are so self-replicating is that they don't use pieces of software to spread, but they exploit flaws within a network's security to spread, meaning if there is an open firewall port, it will spread from there, if you create a gap from a virus already in the system... middle of paper... nor are they by any means perfect, as most anti-malware systems lag 6 months behind the creation of worms. However, it is better to have some protection than none, so a good anti-malware system is essential. The most important feature to defend yourself and your system from worm attacks is a configured powerful firewall. Your firewall should be limited to only essential ports, the ports you use yourself. This way it will almost completely exclude unwanted access from your machine.8. Legal Aspects The main act that people would like to get rid of worms is the Computer Misuse Act, the three main clauses are mentioned in quotes "unauthorized access to computer equipment, unauthorized access with intent to commit or facilitate the commission of further crimes, unauthorized acts with the intent to compromise, or with imprudence in terms of damage, use of the computer, etc..”