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Computer virus

As explained in Acing the CCNA Exam: Volume 2 Advanced Networking and Security

A computer virus is malware that attaches to a legitimate program or file and replicates or executes when the host is executed.

A computer virus is malware that attaches itself to a legitimate program or file. When the host is executed, the virus executes as well. section 11.2.1

Recognize these defining behaviors:

  • Spreads by infecting files shared between computers. section 11.2.1
  • Differs from a worm, which can spread without human intervention by exploiting software vulnerabilities. section 11.2.1
  • Belongs to the malware category, alongside Trojan horses, backdoors, and ransomware. section 11.6

How Acing the CCNA Exam: Volume 2 Advanced Networking and Security covers it

How deep it goes
Defines attachment, host execution, and file-sharing propagation without addressing detection, prevention, or removal.
Examples
Uses shared files between computers as the concrete propagation example.
What you can do after
Evaluate/understand whether malware depends on a legitimate host program or file to execute and spread.
How it connects
Connects viruses with malware, worms, Trojan horses, backdoors, and ransomware as related threat categories.
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Related concepts

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Acing the CCNA Exam: Volume 2 Advanced Networking and Security. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.