Define each of the following terms in your own words:

Boot sector
File
Multipartite
Macro
Trojan horse
E-mail worms
Instant messaging worms
IRC worms
File-sharing networks worms
Internet worms *
Explain how each virus or worm functions and spreads.
Determine in which category the threat you researched in Week Seven belongs. Your response must be between 200 and 300 words.

A boot sector threat is a type of virus that infects host computers by writing the malicious code to the boot sector of the drive that’s infecting. This method of infiltration ensures that whenever the infected volume attempts to boot, the virus will boot first.

File threats are virii that attach themselves to executable program files such as .exe files. After being run, the virus then effects other programs as they attempt to run, or infect the entire directory or volume in which they’ve been introduced.

A multipartite threat is a threat with attributes of both boot sector and file viruses. These types of threats can spread from the MBR or boot sector to infect executable programs, or spread from a single file to infect the boot sector.

A macro is a type of formula language used in complex tasks in software such as Microsoft word or excel. These threats are capable of assigning multiple key commands to one action . Macros infect systems through a document file type and infect he host once the file is accessed.

A Trojan Horse threat is a threat that presents itself as a legitimate piece of software. After it has been installed the software can then perform a variety of actions such as sending sensitive information back to a remote computer via a keylogging to executing commands to erase or format the host computers hard drive.

An email worm is a malicious threat coded as an executable file that can replicate itself in order to spread to other computers. Unlike a Trojan however it doesn’t need to attach itself to another program. The primary means of spreading a worm is through email and computer networks. Some worms are coded in order to deliver a payload.

Instant messaging Worm is a worm that uses instant messaging networkd in order to spread to other computers. It does this upon infecting a host by accessing the hosts address book and often sending infected messages as a means to infect the host computer.

IRC worms are worms that spread through internet relay chat lines. It is a single executable file that replicates and infects other computers connected to the irc channel by modifying script files in order to perform the infection of all connected computers.

File sharing network worms Are worms that utilize file sharing networks in order to spread. The worm will disguise itself as a harmless file in a users shared folder. Mp3s and pornographic materials are commonly imitated by these worms. The file will then be created in the users shared folder, ready to be downloaded by other p2p users.

Internet Worms target low level TCP/IP ports to spread its malicious code to other computers. Upon infecting a host the program will then attack other computers on the network or random computers on the public internet at a specific port in order to infect the connected computer.

The threat the I listed during week seven is categorized as a remote access Trojan. It attaches itself to another file such as an email attachment, or executable file. Once this file is accessed the Trojan then installs itself. Upon installing itself the threat will then carry out the malicious actions it may have been designed for. In the case of Trojan:Win32/Koutodoor.F
The program would modifies internet explorer registry keys to prevent internet access. Upon completing that action the Trojan then attempts to communicate with a remote computer . The current purpose for this communication is unknown.