THREATS AND FRAUDS

Threats

The trends in the use of World Wide Web technology are changing with the aim to enhance creativity, information sharing and collaboration among users
But it also comes with new Risks, Threats and Fraud!

Malware

Malware stands for ‘Malicious Software’. It includes any program or file that is designed to do harm. To distribute them hackers will often hide them inside other programs on websites or send them to you by e-mail. These include:

•  Viruses and Worms

•  Trojan Horses

•  Adware and Spyware

•  Phishing / Pharming

•  Spam and Hoax letters

Types of Malware

Malware can gain remote access to your system thus allowing data to be sent to the hacker and further infect others through disabling anti-virus and firewall software.

Pharming

Pharming is an attack in which a user can be fooled into entering sensitive data such as a password or credit card number into a malicious web site that impersonates a legitimate web site. The attacker does not have to rely on having the user click on a link in an email. Even if the user correctly enters a URL (web address) into a browser`s address bar, the attacker can still redirect the user to a malicious web site.

Adware

Adware stands for ‘Advertising Supported Software’. It refers to any software that automatically plays, displays or downloads advertisements. These adverts are seen after software is installed on a computer or while the application is being used.

Viruses

A virus is a malicious computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer by corrupting or modifying files. It does this without permission or knowledge of the user. A virus replicates itself by attaching to another object e.g. via e-mail attachments, internet downloads, diskettes, CD’s, etc.

Spyware

Spyware is software that is used to gather information about a person or organization without their knowledge. Spyware displays advertisements related to what it finds from spying on you. This is called ‘Targeted advertising’.

Phishing

An e-mail that masquerades as a legitimate contact from a business or organization in an attempt to steal personal or financial information is called Phishing. Phishing often states that there is a problem or threatens to terminate an account if you do not respond.

Spam

Spam is unsolicited e-mail on the Internet. In almost all cases, the sender’s address is ‘spoofed’ – i.e. it pretends to be from a legitimate sender. Spam is a common carrier of malicious code. Difficult to stop completely without stopping a valid mail from time to time.

Trojan Horses

These are delivery vehicles for malicious or destructive computer programs, similar to viruses or worms. Hackers, virus writers, and even advertisers can embed malicious code into any program or file that appears to be harmless or useful, such as an animation or video game.

Worms

A malicious computer program, like a virus, but a worm can spread itself without any user interaction Usually more dangerous than a virus as they can cause harm to the network. Worms are also invisible to the user.

Antivirus Software

Regardless of the type of anti virus software software running on your PC it should have the following characteristics.

•  It will have an antivirus detector, that continuously monitors your system.

•  An email scanner than detects viruses in incoming emails.

•  An update manager which ensures your virus database is up to date. You can also update the database now rather than waiting for periodic updates.

Do not permit activities which can distribute viruses such as peer-to-peer file sharing from your computer. Also scan all new files, such as those on CDs, DVDs, USB drives, flash memory sticks, and diskettes.