PC Security

Article 7

The Funky Worm

Back in 1974, the funk group, the Ohio Players made a song called “Funky Worm”. What inspired the group to write this song may have been prophetic vision or just plain luck. The “Funky Worm” was similar to what a worm virus does to a computer system

The Funky Worm was a bad concept. The “worm” had the ability to render destruction while being cool and hidden at the same time. Whoever at the internet association must have been a band member of the Ohio Players or a big fan of the group. Anyway, a computer worm is one bad thing to have on your system.

A worm is a sub-class of a computer virus and they usually spread from system to system. This is the difference. A computer virus usually needs the help of a person (many times through ignorance) to spread amongst computers. A worm does not need that assistance; therefore, that’s why it has its name.

A worm actually has more knowledge of public transportation than the average American citizen. You see, your computer has ports that send data and transmissions out to other computers. Worms hang out at the port like bums trying to get a ride from New York to Florida via these “roads” or “lines of transportation”. It doesn’t even have to pay a fare. Why drive (like a computer virus) when all you have to do is stand at the port and get on the next thing smoking to South Beach?

A worm can duplicate itself on your system so that means that it has the capability to send out children that look just like it! Once again, it seems like these viruses and worms go straight for the email address book. Worms can use emails to send a copy of itself (uninvited of course) to every person that you have in your virtual phone book. Therefore, they have a guest that they don’t want either!

Worms can also crash web servers by duplicating themselves. It can stop geographical systems to stop working. They wreak havoc on system memory and if you are on the internet, take up bandwidth. Worms are definitely BAD!

Again, good virus protection software can catch a funky worm any day of the week. The key is to keep your subscription updated.

Is it by chance that the Ohio Players had this in mind when they wrote that song?