A computer worm is a malicious software program. It can slow your system down considerably or completely disable it. Unlike a Trojan Horse, which is a malicious software program that cannot reproduce or self-replicate, a computer worm has the ability to multiply at a rapid pace. It can spread from computer to computer and travel across networks and it can also copy address books and send itself out to everyone in it. Computer worms can even freeze or disable entire servers. Some of the most sophisticated computer worms can actually tunnel into your computer system and give users remote access to your computer. One of the most destructive of all computer worms was the Blaster Worm. The Blaster worm, created by an 18-year-old boy from Minnesota, spread on computers running Windows XP and Windows 2000. Created back in 2003, this computer worm was also called Lovsan, Lovesan, and MSBlaster.

The first version of the Blaster worm was found on August 11, 2003. Many variants of this worm appeared. On August 13th, the then 18-year-old Jeffrey Lee Parson released the Blaster B worm from his home in Hopkins, Minnesota. News about the Blaster Worm spread just as fast as the worm itself, so this helped curb the spread as well as filtering ISPs. On August 19, 2003, federal agents, based on suspicion that he had released a malicious software program, searched Parson’s home. Parson was arrested on August 29, 2003. Nearly a year later, on August 11, 2004, Parson pled guilty. He was sentenced on January 28, 2005 to 18 months in prison.

How to Get Rid of Computer Worms

To get rid of malicious software programs like the Blaster worm, there are a number of free computer worms removal software downloads available on the web. The problem is that you have to make sure that the download is from a trusted source. If you are running Windows, stick with Microsoft software downloads. Microsoft offers its “Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool” free of charge for its Windows operating system. The great thing about this free worm removal tool is that it updates once a month and reports if malicious software is found.

Other malicious software and computer worm removal tools include: Norton AntiVirus and McAfee Antivirus. These software programs are not free. It is important to note that while the Microsoft Software Removal Tool helps remove infections, it does not prevent them. If you want added security, it’s best to install Norton or McAfee as well.

From Microsoft:

The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool checks Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 computers for and helps remove infections by specific, prevalent malicious software including Blaster Worm, Sasser, and Mydoom. When the detection and removal process is complete, the tool displays a report describing the outcome, including which, if any, malicious software was detected and removed. The tool creates a log file named mrt.log in the %WINDIR%\debug folder. Version 1.30 adds Win32/Allaple to the list of malicious software this tool detects.

You can download directly from the Microsoft website or Cnet.com.