Which of the following is an independent malicious program that propagates…

Answer: Computer Worm

A computer worm is an independent malicious program that self-replicates and spreads across networks by exploiting vulnerabilities in widely used services. Worms can propagate without attaching to host files and often do not require any user action to move from one system to another.

Key distinguishing characteristics:

• Self-replication across networks without needing to attach to other programs.

• Propagates by exploiting vulnerabilities in services or network protocols, not by relying on user actions.

• Often causes network congestion, unauthorized access, or payload delivery after spreading.

Why the other choices are incorrect:

• Computer viruses attach to executable files or documents and require user action (like running the infected file) to spread, so they do not fit the description of independently exploiting network services.

• Trojan Horses masquerade as legitimate software to trick users into installing them and do not self-replicate across networks.

• Logic bombs are code that trigger when specific conditions are met; they do not propagate across networks by exploiting services.