Which term describes a software program that can replicate and spread itself without user consent?

The correct answer pertains to a software program that can replicate and spread itself without user consent, which is best described as a worm. A worm is a type of malicious software that can autonomously create copies of itself and propagate across networks without any human intervention.

Worms exploit vulnerabilities in systems or applications to infect and spread to other machines, often leading to significant network congestion and degradation of performance, as they consume bandwidth and system resources. Unlike viruses, which require a host program to execute and can spread when users run infected files, worms operate independently, making them distinct in their mechanism of propagation.

Understanding the characteristics of these types of malware is crucial for devising effective security strategies, as the way worms function necessitates specific preventive measures, such as network segmentation and regular patching of vulnerabilities to limit their ability to spread.