Which characteristic describes a virus?

The definition of a virus in the context of computer security primarily revolves around its nature as malicious software that is designed to replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. A virus compromises the functionality of the operating system or applications, often causing harm to data or performance.

Malicious software, or malware, encompasses various forms of harmful software, including viruses, worms, trojans, and ransomware, with viruses being specifically noted for their ability to attach themselves to host programs and execute harmful actions upon execution.

While the option describing a virus as a computer program that can replicate itself is also accurate, viruses are specifically distinguished by their intent to cause harm, categorize them more strictly as malicious software. Other choices, such as benign software or hardware malfunction, do not accurately reflect the intentional malicious nature of a virus, affirming that the correct characteristic differentiates viruses as harmful entities within the realm of computing.