Network Viruses: The Worms

Abstract

The rapid expansion in wide area and local area networking has led to the establishment of a global internetwork linking millions of systems. Through this network, which interlinks many diverse hardware architectures, a limited range of basic network functions are available — normally restricted to electronic mail and file transfer. The component networks within the global internetwork often use standardised protocols and architectures (thus avoiding the extensive protocol conversion carried out by gateway systems). Within these networks many “closely” coupled services are available. Such services include remote login, remote execution of code and transparent file systems across numerous machines.