A
computer worm is a standalone
malware computer program that replicates itself in order to spread to other computers. Often, it uses a
computer network to spread itself, relying on security failures on the target computer to access it. Unlike a
computer virus, it does not need to attach itself to an existing program. Worms almost always cause at least some harm to the network, even if only by consuming
bandwidth, whereas viruses almost always corrupt or modify files on a targeted computer.