Badware Definitions

When we refer to Badware it is meant as a general term used to describe all of the viruses, trojans, worms, spyware, malware, and pretty much anything that is specifically designed to cause harm to your PC or steal your information.

Test your Badware IQ this week and get informed about the various types of nasties that can get into your PC. Are you protected? (If not, we’ve got an award-winning antivirus that you need ASAP).

What exactly is Spyware?

We refer to Spyware as any software that collects your information without your knowledge and then sends that information back to someone else. Keyloggers are the main type of Spyware used to record your keystrokes to steal passwords and credit card numbers and transmit them to hackers.

Adware

Adware is generally any sort of program that will prompt you to buy items or software. Sometimes adware is bundled with legitimate software that you download. For instance, some apps will bundle in Adobe Reader and install it without your explicit permission.

What is a Virus?

A virus is a program which attaches itself to an executable file and is generally used to cause havoc and break things. A virus is a program that copies itself and infects other PCs when files are shared or copied.

Are you scared of Scareware?

Scareware programs are used to scare you into thinking you have viruses and spyware on your PC. They are generally programs or online advertisements which pretend to “boost your PC speed”, “clean off viruses” or any other myriad of fake offers,

Trojan/Trojan Horse

A trojan or “trojan horse” is an application that looks to be harmless but secretly has code that will create a “backdoor” or an opening in your PC that allows it to be controlled remotely. Trojans frequently “piggyback” on legitimate software when you download it from an unofficial site.

Worms

A worm can infect your entire network when an employee opens an infected email attachment. They operate on your network and can install other badware on multiple computers.

Malware

Short for malicious software, is software designed to secretly access a computer system without the owner’s informed consent. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, dishonest adware, scareware, crimeware, amd most rootkits. It is another all-encompassing term similar to badware.

Spam

Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately. While the most widely recognized form of spam is e-mail spam, the term is applied to similar abuses in other media: instant messaging spam, Usenet newsgroup spam, Web search engine spam, spam in blogs, wiki spam, online classified ads spam, mobile phone messaging (texting) spam, Internet forum spam, junk fax transmissions, social networking spam, television advertising and file sharing network spam.

Spam is essentially any unwanted and requested attempts to sell you something, generally delivered incessantly and without a means to stop it.

Botnets

A botnet is a networked collection of computers infected with software that can be remotely controlled to awaken and perform some task

Pharming

Synonymous with Phishing, this is a hacker’s attack aiming to redirect a website’s traffic to another, bogus website. Pharming can be conducted either by changing the hosts file on a victim’s computer or by exploitation of a vulnerability in DNS server software. Phishing can also be attempted via fake emails made to look like they come from a legitimate company but then lead to a fake website.

Pharming has become of major concern to businesses hosting e-commerce and online banking websites. Sophisticated measures known as anti-pharming are required to protect against this serious threat. Antivirus software and spyware removal software cannot always protect against pharming.

Well now what?

It’s been quite a scary week and you’re probably questioning whether your security software is up to the job of defending you against all of these threats. Does your security software protect you in real-time and do so without getting in your way or slowing you down?

If you want piece of mind that your data is secure, …call Buffalo Wired today at (716) 213-444 to learn about our complete virus protection security solution for your business.