In today??™s world there??™s little left of the narcissistic impulse that
drove the ?¬?rst worm writers: nonetheless, their spreading model
is still one of the most effective for gaining unauthorized access
to less-protected PCs. Where yesterday the prize was the satisfaction
of yet another life touched by the author??™s action, today
it??™s acquiring yet another zombie PC, adding ?¬?repower that is at
the service of greedy spammers. The move toward a business
mindset becomes evident, and it became more and more manifest
as we got closer to the present. The same drive favors wormlike
distribution patterns for an economy of scale, but script
kiddy tools can also be used for targeted attacks.
The importance of viruses and worms in the evolution of security
threads cannot be underestimated, because it was one of the
central factors in shaping today??™s awareness of the dangers in
using computer systems. Out there, there??™s somebody who can
harm you and your business and won??™t hesitate to do it if you
give him half a chance. This awareness is key to recognizing the
need for some form of protection and the acceptance of the
inevitable discomfort it brings. Installing an antivirus, remembering
a password for accessing the computer, maintaining a personal
?¬?rewall, not being able to attach executable ?¬?les (EXEs) in
email messages, are all nuisances that we would not accept if
we thought there was no danger.
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