A program that propagates itself across computers, usually by creating copies of itself in each computer's memory. A worm might duplicate itself in one computer so often that it causes the computer to crash. Sometimes written in separate segments, a worm is introduced surreptitiously into a host system either as a prank or with the intent of damaging or destroying information. See also bacterium, Internet Worm, Trojan horse, virus. A type of optical disc that can be read and reread but cannot be altered after it has been recorded.
WORMs are high-capacity storage devices.
Because they cannot be erased and rerecorded, they are suited to storing archives and other large bodies of unchanging information. See also compact disc. Acronym for Windows Open System Architecture. A set of application programming interfaces from Microsoft that is intended to enable Windows applications from different vendors to communicate with each other, such as over a network. See also MAPI, ODBC, remote procedure call, TAPI, Winsock.