System Protection & Security
With the proliferation of electronic devices that connect to the Internet, it becomes harder and harder to protect yourself and your computer from the possibility of dangerous or malicious programs destroying data or stealing personal private information. The problem is real, it is not an imaginary conspiracy theory made up by someone to sell you something. Businesses can receive hundreds or even thousands of malicious emails and other potential infections every day. Individuals, depending on the type of connection they have to the Internet, may see relatively few invasive attempts or as many as a business.
To understand the problem, one must first has to understand the terminology used to describe the problem, so some definitions are in order. Here are a few terms that are essential to understand:
Terminology
Computer Virus
A computer virus is a program that can replicate (copy) itself inside one computer and also spread from computer to computer. The term is commonly used for all types of malicious and destructive computer programs, but technically the term only applies to programs that can spread by replication. Computer viruses work by attaching themselves to existing legitimate programs.
Malware
Short for “malicious software,” malware is a more general term than “computer virus” used to refer to all types of destructive or harmful programs and schemes.
Adware
Advertising-supported software or adware is any software package that automatically plays, displays or downloads advertisements to a computer. You may see these routinely as “pop-ups” or windows that pop-up when you go to a website. You can turn these off in your browser, but you may or may not determine that blocking pop-ups is more trouble than it is worth.
Spyware
Programs that appear to be innocuous, but are designed to gather personal, private information from your computer. If the program is designed to capture login and passwords, it is sometimes called a keylogger. Spyware also called privacy-invasive software, a type of malware that is installed on a computer to collect small pieces of information without the owner’s knowledge.
Keylogger
A program that is designed to log keystrokes on a computer in a manner that the user is unaware of the data capture, record them and transmit the information to another computer for use in a variety of ways. Some companies use this method to monitor their employees’ computer activities, but it can be used for illegal and malicious reasons.
Worms
Unlike computer viruses that use an existing program to spread, a computer worm can use a computer network to send copies of itself to other computers (nodes) on the network. Worms are always harmful even if they do nothing but copy themselves because they can ultimately use up all of the computer’s memory.
Trojan Horse
A program that seems desirable or even useful but is in reality designed to steal information or harm the computer system. The term comes from the Greek story of the Trojan War. Adware is a form of Trojan Horse program. The Trojan Horse often gets into your computer when you click on an unsolicited ad or email to download a “free” copy of a program.
Scareware
A program designed to send you a message, typically that your computer is infected with various viruses or other problems. Never, never, never, respond to an unsolicited message about the status of your computer, your bank account, your Internet connection, or anything else about you or your computer. These messages are all scams.
Phishing
An unsolicited, fake message or email that appears to be legitimate asking you to send personal, private information such as credit card numbers, phone numbers, birth information (birth place, birth date), affiliation information (for example, when you graduated from high school), or any other type of information. These messages may have a genuine-looking logo or look like official letters. Again, never, never, never respond to an unsolicited message from anyone with any kind of information. Just clicking on the link may give the remote computer your personal information or, at least, tell the sender that they have a valid email address or that you are too naive to avoid their scam.
Crimeware
A more sophisticated system of stealing information from computer networks. Usually directed at businesses and larger networked organizations.
Rootkit
A program installed on your computer to allow someone remote access to your computer without your knowledge or permission. This can be as simple as a relative or member of your family that uses your computer without your permission by stealing your password and then using it to set up an account or user on your computer. Be aware of your computer’s use and activity.