Glossary of Data Communications Terms

Courtesy Enterprise-Wide Computing, Inc.

Term: virus
Definition: A program that is used to infect a computer. After virus code is written, it is buried within an existing program. Once that program is executed, the virus code is also activated and it attaches copies of itself to other programs in the system. Whenever an infected program is run, the virus copies itself to other programs. A virus cannot be attached to data. It must be attached to an executable program that is installed on a computer. The virus-attached program must be executed in order to activate the virus. See logic bomb, and worm.

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Last Modified:
Wednesday, April 22, 1998