Most people who think they know all about spyware, Trojans, viruses, and other malware really don't. Take this quiz to make sure you know who your enemies are.

This quiz tests your knowledge of five of the most common kinds of malware, the software you don't want on your computer: Trojan, worm, virus, spyware, and adware. Keep in mind that there are at least seven other kinds of malware we know about.

The answers are located at the end of the quiz.

1. Which of the following is most likely to make your computer stop working? a. Trojan b. Worm c. Virus d. Spyware e. Adware

2. Which of the following is not a stand-alone program? a. Trojan b. Worm c. Virus d. Spyware e. Adware

3. Which of the following is most likely to send spam emails from your computer? a. Trojan b. Worm c. Virus d. Spyware e. Adware

4. Which of the following is lest likely to be detected with standard antivirus software? a. Trojan b. Worm c. Virus d. Spyware e. Adware

5. Which of the following is most likely to come with other malware? a. Trojan b. Worm c. Virus d. Spyware e. Adware

6. Which of the following is bundled with the peer-to-peer file-sharing software, Kazaa? a. Trojan b. Worm c. Virus d. Spyware e. Adware

7. Which of the following is most likely to install a "backdoor" internet connection? a. Trojan b. Worm c. Virus d. Spyware e. Adware

8. Which of the following is most likely to be involved in a denial-of-service attack? a. Trojan b. Worm c. Virus d. Spyware e. Adware

9. Which of the following is the only malware publicly documented as having been employed by the FBI to bring a suspect to trial? a. Trojan b. Worm c. Virus d. Spyware e. Adware

10. Which of the following is most likely to steal your identity? a. Trojan b. Worm c. Virus d. Spyware e. Adware

Answers:

1. c. virus. Trojans, worms, spyware, and adware all depend on your computer staying up and running. They use your computer's resources to accomplish whatever their designer intended, such as sending emails, displaying advertising, or stealing information from your computer. Viruses, however, are usually created by vandals who just want to damage as many computers as possible.

2. c. virus. Viruses are not stand-alone programs. Just as biological viruses must take over the cells of their host in order to function and reproduce; computer viruses must take over one or more files of the computer on which they are stored. Trojans, worms, spyware, and adware are all stand-alone programs that can run without the help of another application, though they often come bundled with other applications as a decoy, or with other malware.

3. b. worm. Worms are stand-alone programs that are often used to send spam emails, or emails containing viruses. Trojans often contain worms which are then installed for the purpose of sending spam emails, but the worms are what actually send the emails.

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