What are the typical threats that a computer user can encounter when using the internets?

Answer 1

We are living in a digital world, were computers are not just an ordinary thing anymore but a "necessity" to our everyday lives. Most of us only knew a little about computer security threats, the most common were "virus" and "worm".

But did you know that there are 34 different types of Computer Security Threats?

Spam

Spam, or unsolicited commercial e-mail, may seem like the least of internet security threats, but it really robs people of their time in having to constantly clean out the junk in their in-boxes. The other serious problem with spam is that it brings in viruses through attachments and tricks people into going to malicious websites. Spam can be a gateway to more severe threats.

Viruses

Viruses can come from email, websites, discs and other computers. Viruses come in many types and strengths. A virus can be a program that simply causes your computer to slow down, or it can totally wreak havoc on your computer system, forcing you to reformat your computer. The best way to avoid viruses is to avoid downloading software that you are unsure about. Viruses can work to immediately disable or control your computer, or they may wait for a certain date to activate. Most antivirus software can prevent viruses quite easily.

Adware/Malware

Malware means malicious software. It is code that installs itself on your computer without your ever knowing how you got it or where it came from. Malware may simply slow your computer down by reporting to other websites what you are doing, such as which websites you are visiting, or it can cause unending pop-up ads. Malware can be used to steal personal information, or it can completely take over your computer. Many programs are aimed at stopping and removing malware, similar to the way antivirus software works.

DOS Attacks

Denial-of-service attacks are among the most serious Internet threats. Remote computers will take control of many computers on the Internet through viruses or malware and direct all of those computers' resources toward using all the resources of a website or database or an organization's infrastructure. The draw all at once on a system makes it come to a stop.

Information Theft

The silent security threat of the Internet is information theft. Many people already know that identity theft is a serious problem, but identity theft is done easily online. Criminals hack in to large databases of consumer information to steal your identity, but individual information can also be stolen from your computer when you get infected with a virus or malware. Your bank account number and passwords can be stolen from you as they are transmitted online.

Boot Sector Viruses

Boot sector viruses spread by modifying the program that enables your

computer to start up.

When you switch on a computer, the hardware looks for the boot sector program -

which is usually on the hard disk, but can be on a floppy disk or CD - and runs it. This

program then loads the rest of the operating system into memory.

A boot sector virus replaces the original boot sector with its own, modified version (and

usually hides the original somewhere else on the hard disk). When you next start up,

the infected boot sector is used and the virus becomes active.

You can only become infected if you boot up your computer from an infected disk, e.g.

a floppy disk that has an infected boot sector.

Boot sector viruses were the first type of virus to appear, and they are mostly quite old.

They are rarely encountered today.

Bluesnarfing

Bluesnarfing is the theft of data from a Bluetooth phone.

Like Bluejacking, Bluesnarfing depends on the ability of Bluetooth-enabled devices to

detect and contact others nearby.

In theory, a Bluetooth user running the right software on their laptop can discover a

nearby phone, connect to it without your confirmation, and download your phonebook,

pictures of contacts and calendar.

Your mobile phone's serial number can also be downloaded and used to clone the

phone.You should turn off Bluetooth or set it to "undiscoverable". The undiscoverable setting

allows you to continue using Bluetooth products like headsets, but means that your

phone is not visible to others.

backdoor Trojan

A backdoor Trojan allows someone to take control of another user's

computer via the internet without their permission.

A backdoor Trojan may pose as legitimate software, just as other Trojan horse programs

do, so that users run it. Alternatively - as is now increasingly common - users may

allow Trojans onto their computer by following a link in spam mail.

Once the Trojan is run, it adds itself to the computer's startup routine. It can then

monitor the computer until the user is connected to the internet. When the computer

goes online, the person who sent the Trojan can perform many actions - for example,

run programs on the infected computer, access personal files, modify and upload files,

track the user's keystrokes, or send out spam mail.

Answer 2

When using the internet, the most common threat is a virus. A virus is any piece of code that is downloaded against your will, whether it is hidden in another program you download, or is hidden from you. The virus will then either collect information from your computer, such as logging every key that you press, or will do something to damage the coding of your computer to shut it down or cause general problems. If you do not have any virus software, AVG is a good program to prevent and remove viruses on your computer.