Virus Vs Worm — CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) Practice Questions

A virus is malicious code that requires a host file or program and depends on human action, such as opening an infected file, to spread, whereas a worm is self-contained and propagates autonomously across networks by exploiting vulnerabilities without user interaction. This distinction matters because worms can cause rapid, widespread damage with no human trigger, while viruses rely on social engineering or unsafe user behavior. The Security+ exam expects candidates to classify malware types correctly and associate each with appropriate detection and containment controls.

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