The threats of online security: How safe is your data?

Nowadays, Internet attacks are increasing in number and complexity. When Internet users browse any websites which contain the damaging threats, the regarding threats would attack or destroy their computers. The damaging threats such as viruses, spyware, adware, scumware, hacker attacks, identity theft and fraud are common occurrence.

Trojan horse refers to one of the most serious threats to the computer security. A Trojan horse is a program in which malicious or harmful code is contained inside harmless programming that it can ruin the file allocation table on the hard disk or even stop the computer’s normal functions. Furthermore, Trojan horse not only attacks your computer once you trapped by it, but may also attack other people’s computer unknowingly. Therefore, everyone must be aware of this type of virus because Trojan horse can be spread to hurt other people easily when you are infected.

Besides, spyware is another virus that attack user’s computer. A large number of problems that have arisen are such as pop-up ads that multiply uncontrollably, system slowdowns of freezes and mysteriously redirect us to the websites we have never heard of. Adware is similar to spyware, which is software that installed on the computer to show advertisements. Adware can also slow down user’s pc and even increase the instability of user’s system because many adware applications are not well-programmed.

Internet fraud has a broad meaning in covering Internet transaction that involves falsified information. The common Internet fraud are such as fake IDs, diplomas, and recommendation letters sold as credentials and others. Some Internet fraud schemes also involve identity theft-wrongful obtaining and using of someone’s personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain. For example, in 2001, the entire municipality of Largo, Florida lost their emails for more than a week because an unknown company has compromised its identity. Then the company hacked into the city’s email relay system to steal the identity of the Largo.com. Because of the e-mail spam from Largo.com addresses the net, all incoming and outgoing messages were blacklisted from the city.

Another internet fraud is done through the use of stolen credit card information.

The crackers who probably are the companies’ employees can easily obtain the huge quantities of credit card information from the companies’ databases. They deal with the companies’ customers in selling those credit cards information to them. This has led to criminal cases occurrence. Besides, the use of credit cards for making online purchase or payment can be unsecured. The so-called secure transactions are actually not fully secure since the information need to be decoded into plain text to process it.

Therefore, we have to safeguard our data carefully and properly. If we don’t do so, the more and more online threats will be continuously occurred in our life.

References:
1. http://www.bsagovernment.com/downloads/MajorOnlineThreats.pdf
2. http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid14_gci213221,00.html