Today’s Most Popular Internet Scams
Types of Threats
The names for the most common types of Internet invaders are always changing, but the goals are the same-someone or something is trying to access your computer to use it in a way you normally wouldn’t allow. Fortunately, with a little know-how and the right tools you can stop most threats in their tracks.
Backdoor: A backdoor is not malware, but a method of bypassing authentication to secure access to a device. A backdoor often gains access to a device before a virus or Trojan, since doing so facilitates the transfer of other threats.
Bot: A bot is a malicious form of software that could use your device to send spam, host a phishing site or steal your identity by monitoring your keystrokes. Botnets are composed of individual bots-sometimes numbering in the hundreds of thousands. They are then used to spread viruses and attack other devices and servers.
KeyLogger: A piece of software which captures a user’s strokes on a keyboard. This software can be distributed through a Trojan horse or virus to hack into and capture private information from an unsuspecting user.
Malware: Malware is short for “malicious software” that is designed to cripple your device or destroy your information. Malware includes viruses, worms, spyware, Trojans and other threats. Mobile Threats Most malware for mobile devices consists of Trojans that pose as legitimate applications often found on mobile application marketplaces in the hope that users will download and install them. On some occasions, attackers take popular legitimate applications and add malicious code.
Phishing: The attempt of acquiring personally sensitive information by sending an email to a user falsely claiming to be a legitimate business. A phishing email will direct the user to a fake website posing as a legitimate one where users are asked to update personal information, such as passwords, credit cards, social security- or bank account numbers.
Rootkit: A set of software tools that enables an unauthorized user to gain control of a computer system without being detected. Security threats on Public WiFi Whenever you connect to a public WiFi you cannot be sure that the network is safe from hackers or surveillance. It is relatively easy for any criminal to set up a rogue access point and lure people to connect to it. By recording or forwarding the traffic to a phishing site online, criminals can obtain login credentials and other private information from the user.
Spyware Spyware: is software that performs certain behaviors, such as filling your screen with advertising pop-ups (such programs are known as adware), collecting or transmitting personal information (through KeyLoggers listed above), or changing the configuration of your device, generally without your consent. Spyware can find its way onto your device through free software downloads, malicious or compromised websites, clicking on pop-up ads, file transfers over instant messaging, or opening infected email attachments.
Tracking: Most websites track their visitors’ online activity using techniques like cookies and tracking pixels. Online tracking is used to track private browsing as market research or as a way to target advertising. Many websites share tracking information with other websites and networks. By using online tracking, advertising companies can create online profiles as a basis for targeted marketing.
Trojans: Trojans are malicious code that users unwittingly install onto their devices, most commonly through either opening email attachments or downloading from the Internet. Trojans are often downloaded and installed by other malicious code as well. Trojan programs differ from worms and viruses in that they do not propagate themselves.
Viruses: A virus is a piece of computer code that attaches itself to a program or file so it can easily spread from device to device and is usually meant to damage your software, hardware, and files. Worms Worms are malicious code threats that automatically copy themselves from one device to another.
Zero-day Vulnerability: A zero-day vulnerability is a software vulnerability which is exploited by hackers before it becomes public knowledge, usually prior to a patch becoming publicly available.
These are definitions from Comcast
