Which type of malware is designed to replicate itself and spread to other systems?

Which type of malware is designed to replicate itself and spread to other systems?

• A. Trojan horse
• B. Virus
• C. Spyware
• D. Adware

Answer: (B)

The answer is a virus because a virus is a type of malware specifically designed to replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. It typically attaches itself to clean files and can be activated when the user executes the infected file. Once activated, it can create copies of itself, infect other files or systems, and potentially cause damage to the host or other connected systems. In contrast, a Trojan horse disguises itself as legitimate software, tricking users into installing it, but it does not replicate itself. Spyware is designed to secretly gather information about a user's activities without their knowledge, and adware generates advertisements to generate revenue but does not self-replicate. Therefore, a virus is uniquely characterized by its ability to replicate and spread, making it the correct choice in this context.

The answer is a virus because a virus is a type of malware specifically designed to replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. It typically attaches itself to clean files and can be activated when the user executes the infected file. Once activated, it can create copies of itself, infect other files or systems, and potentially cause damage to the host or other connected systems.

In contrast, a Trojan horse disguises itself as legitimate software, tricking users into installing it, but it does not replicate itself. Spyware is designed to secretly gather information about a user's activities without their knowledge, and adware generates advertisements to generate revenue but does not self-replicate. Therefore, a virus is uniquely characterized by its ability to replicate and spread, making it the correct choice in this context.