SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/secplus-virus-host-file

Which malware spreads by inserting copies of itself into host programs or data files?

Virus, it attaches to a host file and usually needs user action to run.

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  1. A worm
  2. A virus ✔
  3. A rootkit

Why: Viruses are often triggered when you open a file or run a program. A worm, by contrast, is self-contained and spreads on its own.

Huh, didn't know that: NIST SP 800-83 says antivirus software is the most commonly used technical control for mitigating malware threats.

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What is a computer virus? A terminal illness!
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References

Answer: A virus. Viruses are often triggered when you open a file or run a program. A worm, by contrast, is self-contained and spreads on its own.

  1. NIST SP 800-83 Rev. 1, Guide to Malware Incident Prevention and Handling nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-83r1.pdf
    A virus self-replicates by inserting copies of itself into host programs or data files.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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Security & PrivacyWhich malware is self-contained and spreads across a network on its own, without user action?Security & PrivacyWhich malware looks like a useful program but has a hidden malicious purpose and does not replicate?Security & PrivacyMalware that hides its own presence by modifying operating system functions is called what?

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