Malware includes Viruses, Worms, Trojans, etc.
Viruses are the number one method of computer vandalism. A computer virus is an executable file designed to replicate itself while avoiding detection. Often, A virus may disguise itself as a legitimate program and viruses are often rewritten and adjusted to avoid detection. Anti-virus programs periodically check your computer system for the best-known types of viruses and they must be updated regularly to detect new and modified viruses.
A computer worm is a self-replicating computer program, similar to a computer virus. A virus attaches itself to, and becomes part of, another executable program but a worm is self-contained and does not need to be part of another program to propagate itself.
A Trojan, or Trojan Horse is a program in which malicious or harmful code is contained inside apparently harmless programming or data in such a way that it can get control and do damage, such as ruining the file allocation table on your hard disk. A Trojan horse may be widely redistributed as part of a computer virus. A Rootkit (type of a Trojan) is a set of tools used by a hacker to provide a backdoor into a system, collect information on other systems on the network, mask the fact that the system is compromised, and much more. Rootkits are made for a wide range of operating systems such as Linux, Solaris, and Windows.
Some security risks include:
- Malicious Programs
- Virus - malicious software that attaches itself to other software
- Worm - malicious software that is a stand-alone application
- Trojan horse - **see above**
- Rootkits
- Time Bomb - a Virus or Worm designed to activate at a certain date/time
- Logic Bomb - a Virus or Worm designed to activate under certain conditions
- Rabbit Bacterium - a Worm designed to replicate until computer resources are exhausted
- Spoofing
- Snooping - Electronic monitoring of networks to obtain passwords or other data
- Spamming - Overloading a system with messages or other unwanted traffic
Grayware or Adware
Grayware refers to a malicious software or code that is considered to fall in the "gray area" between normal software and Malware. Grayware is the term used for annoying software such as adware, spyware, trackware, and other troublesome malicious code.
Recognizing Spyware Infection
Recognizing the signs of spyware infection on your computer include:
- Decrease in PC performance
- Increase in network activity
- Dialog boxes, asking suspicious questions
- New dialup connections
- System instability
- Excessive pop-ups
- Website re-direction
- New toolbars, menus or buttons
- Homepage address changes
- Default search engine change
- New taskbar icons
- New items in Favorites
Certifications include: |
||
 |
 |
 |