Some Common
Internet Security Terms Explained By David Cann Spam: Spam is the general name for unsolicited electronic messages.
It is most commonly seen as email but also occurs in almost all other digital
formats including SMS, blogs and instant messaging. The term spam
is generally thought to have originated from a Monty Python Sketch where almost
every item on the menu contains SPAM (the canned meat). This makes reference to
World War II when SPAM was one of the few foods widely available. The excessive
use of the term during the sketch has consequently led to the term being widely
used to describe bulk and unwanted mail. Phishing: This is a scam where
the criminal poses as someone else in order to steal information from the victim.
The most common is in the form of a email sent to the victim(s) asking to confirm
your bank details by clicking the link. The link will usually direct the
victim to a fake site similar where they will enter personal information. The
criminal will then use this information to commit some other fraud like steal
you money and even your identity. Genuine companies will never ask for any personal
information so never give your details in this form. It is very easy to copy a
genuine website and make it appear exactly like the site you would expect. Always
enter the web address manually into the address bar, or call the company to check
and report the scam. Pharming: This is similar to phishing but more dangerous
because the criminal is able to redirect you from a legitimate website to their
fake site without you knowing, even if you type the address manually. It is done
through a process called DNS cache poisoning where the criminal is able
to trick the local servers into providing you with a different website to the
one you asked for. It is like changing the street signs to send traffic down the
wrong street. Most websites that ask for personal information will have a small
padlock in the lower right corner. You can check if the site is real by clicking
the padlock to view the sites security certificate. Joe- job: This is a
type of spam where the sender poses as someone else in order to damage their reputation.
It is usually done by a business to a competitor in order to damage their reputation
and steal their customers. For example Yahoo could pose as Google and send out
billions of unsolicited email saying We will now be charging to use our
search engine or something similar. The receiver would assume this has originated
from Google and probably stop using the product. They may also report Google as
a spammer which would result in further damage and possible fines. The same can
be done by posing as someone else on forums and even the phone. Unfortunately
it is currently very hard to pick a Joe- job but steps are being taken to help
identify the sender of any email which will make it easier to track. Evil
Twin: Criminals set up a wireless network posing as a legitimate network. The
idea is to trick users into thinking it is a trusted network and connecting. Once
connected the criminal can track online activity and possibly steal files. Spyware:
This is a piece of software that secretly gathers information about the user.
Spyware can track the websites you visit and even the keystrokes you make. This
information can be used for advertising and marketing purposes but can also be
used for criminal purposes. Spyware can be part of another program you buy or
download, but can also come from email attachments and websites you visit. Luckily
there are a range of products available to find and remove spyware, Adware:
This is a piece of software on your computer that automatically displays advertising
material. Some adware is straight forward about what it is, such as a free file
sharing programs that displays ads while you use it. Others are more like a virus
and will open at unexpected times and are hard to remove. Adware may also work
with spyware and send you targeted ads based on the information the spyware is
collecting. Viruses: Viruses or worms are software that generally has not
purpose except to cause damage. Some viruses attack files while others will replicate
to use up memory and other resources. Some viruses can even send emails without
you knowing so they can infect other computers. Viruses are very hard to identify
but most are controlled with anti virus software. It is usually the newest viruses
that are most damaging because there is no cure. To help protect yourself you
should never open email attachments without knowing what they are. Dave
is part of the research and development team for http://spamsafesites.com
- a network of websites that are certified not to send spam or sell their customer's
personal information. http://spamsafesites.com
helps websites build trust with their visitors and boost sales. Article
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