FC0-U71 Security Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  It disguises itself as legitimate software

  Why it's wrong here

  Worms self-replicate across networks without a host file or user action; disguising as legitimate software describes a Trojan. It tempts because both spread silently and can arrive by email, and masquerading would be correct if the malware relied on user execution rather than autonomous propagation.

• ✗

  It encrypts files and demands a ransom

  Why it's wrong here

  File encryption with a ransom demand describes ransomware, not a worm, whose defining trait is self-propagation without user interaction. It tempts because worms frequently deliver ransomware payloads, and encryption would be correct if the question asked about the impact stage rather than the propagation mechanism.

• ✗

  It requires a host file to spread

  Why it's wrong here

  Worms self-replicate across networks without attaching to a host file; that host dependency describes a virus, which needs a carrier executable or document to propagate. The option is tempting because virus and worm are both self-copying malware, so the host-file trait is easily misattributed.

• ✓

  It self-replicates without needing a host file

  Why this is correct

  Worms replicate autonomously across networks by exploiting vulnerabilities, requiring no host file or user action — unlike viruses, which must attach to executable files or documents. This self-propagation mechanism directly satisfies the stem's requirement for a defining worm characteristic, distinguishing it from other malware types such as trojans or ransomware.