The threat of online security: How safe is our data?

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Nowadays, internet is become common in our life because many people use it to search the information, chatting, transferring the file, read the news and so on. Internet is a global system of interconnected computer network that interchange data by using the standard Internet Protocol(IP).

With the advancement of technology today, the web-based service including Facebook and MySpace are becoming prime target for hacker to seeking your personal information. This is the reason why in the market occur many type of online security system and software but there also a numerous of online threat attack our computer or data. Below is few type of internet threat that appears in the internet:-

i) Malware
It is a software design to damage a computer system. This software also can describe it as a head of all type of malicious software which is include worm, Trojan horse, spyware, computer virus and unwanted software. For example we can see that numerous of computer in 2000 attack by “I LOVE YOU” virus. This particular malware only simple subject “I LOVE YOU” and an attachment “LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs.” causing widespread outrage, making it the most damaging virus ever.


ii) Worm& Trojan horse
A worm can spread itself to other computers without needing to be transferred as part of a host, and a Trojan horse is a file that appears harmless. Worms and Trojans may cause harm to a computer system's hosted data, functional performance, or networking throughput, when executed. These will caused computer becoming slow even the computer is high performance. That is why our computer needs a internet security system such as antivirus software to protect our computer. Without this software Trojan or warm will track into the computer and steal the important data or personal information such as password of your email account.


iii) Spyware
Spyware is software that install to the computer to take partial control over the user interaction with the computer without user inform consent. Generally, it used for programs that covertly monitor your activity on your computer, gathering personal information, such as usernames, passwords, account numbers, files, and even driver’s license or social security numbers. Spyware is installed in many ways such as most often spyware is installed unknowingly with some other software that you intentionally install. For example, if you install a "free" music or file sharing service or download a screensaver, it may also install spyware. Some Web pages will attempt to install spyware when you visit their page. As a result, all the computer setting is change, slow connecting speed, different home page, automatic pop up website and loss functionality of other program.