VIRUS ENCYCLOPEDIA

If you receive an e-mail that you suspect may carry a virus or a worm, go to Symantec's Virus Encyclopedia to verify whether it is safe to open the e-mail. It is also a good place to verify threats and hoaxes.

• Symantec's Virus Encyclopedia

Definitions

Virus
A program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Viruses can also replicate themselves. All computer viruses are manmade. A simple virus that can make a copy of itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce. Even such a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of virus is one capable of transmitting itself across networks and bypassing security systems.

Worm
A program or algorithm that replicates itself over a computer network and usually performs malicious actions, such as using up the computer's resources and possibly shutting the system down. A worm is a special type of virus that can replicate itself and use memory, but cannot attach itself to other programs.

Trojan Horse
A destructive program that masquerades as a benign application. Unlike viruses, Trojan horses do not replicate themselves but they can be just as destructive. One of the most insidious types of Trojan horse is a program that claims to rid your computer of viruses but instead introduces viruses onto your computer.

The term comes from a story in Homer's Iliad, in which the Greeks give a giant wooden horse to their foes, the Trojans, ostensibly as a peace offering. But after the Trojans drag the horse inside their city walls, Greek soldiers sneak out of the horse's hollow belly and open the city gates, allowing their compatriots to pour in and capture Troy.

Macro
A symbol, name, or key that represents a list of commands, actions, or keystrokes.