Worms are a major threat to the Internet. Their automatic nature makes them powerful and destructive. Using existing and evolving methods of propagation, it is likely that they will become increasingly more powerful. Solutions based on diligent application of patches or . . .
Worms are a major threat to the Internet. Their automatic nature makes them powerful and destructive. Using existing and evolving methods of propagation, it is likely that they will become increasingly more powerful. Solutions based on diligent application of patches or signature-based products are not realistic, as recent experience shows. There is a clear need for active protection systems that prevent exploitation attempts and can deal with unknown attacks, as well as provide protection for all critical software layers, including the OS, APIs and applications.

At the same time, malicious code developers have further improved their worm technology, making their engines more powerful and destructive, and demonstrating their effectiveness on multiple occasions, including Code Red and Nimda. The combination of new vulnerabilities and advanced worm technology makes the threat of Internet worms significant and requires an immediate solution. In the following article, we introduce Internet worms, talk about the threat, provide some predictions of future developments, and identify the key features an effective protection system should offer to deal with this threat.

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