E-Commerce

The threat of online security

Nowadays, computer is useful to everyone as people use it to store and exchange information. But how safe is our data? Hence, it is very important for computer users to be aware of online security threats since they are one of the biggest challenges on the Internet today. The threats that computer users are facing now including mail client, spyware and Trojan horses.

Mail client

Attackers can use the mail client on a computer to spread worms or viruses by including them as attachments in emails. Once the users read their emails, their computers will be attacked by virus and thus their data on computer may be destroyed. This can be prevented or limited by configuring your mail server properly so that you can block suspicious attachments or files.

Spyware

Spyware attacks are something that we are probably all familiar with, as they are the most common online security threat faced by Internet users. It is simply a computer program that is designed to steal information from your computer without your knowledge. The software will typically be installed on your computer without you even knowing it, and then it will send your personal information such as documents, passwords, credit card numbers, and many others to another source. Common spyware includes Trojan horses, key loggers, dialers, and adware programs.

Trojan horses

On the other hand, a Trojan horse is a program that hides within or looks like a legitimate program. Although they seem to be harmless, they may however be triggered if certain condition is certified. The example of Trojan horse is Trojan Xombe which is the mask as email from Microsoft. The hackers will access to the computer and steal the passwords.

Related links:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-primary-online-security-threats.htm
http://www.tech-faq.com/online-security-threats.shtml