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Virus
  • A piece of code that attaches itself to a file (file-infector) or, infrequently, to a sensitive system sector of the victim computer’s hard disk; malware that infects files and spreads when the file executes or is executed by another program.
  • A variation of Trojan Horse. It is propagating (attaching itself to files, programs) with a triggering mechanism (event, time) with a mission (delete files, send data). Protection from a virus is beyond the Criteria. (AFR 205-16;) 2. A self-propagating trojan horse, composed of three parts: a mission component, a trigger component and a self-propagating component. (NCSC-WA-001-85;) 3. A program that can "infect" other programs by modifying them to include a, possibly evolved, copy of itself. (Cohen;) 4. A virus is a program which "infects" other programs by modifying them to include a copy of itself. It cannot activiate itself independently, but only when its host program is explicitly invoked. The virus may contain a logic bomb or trojan horse. (IC;)