Security
The security threats to your IT systems
First of all, recognise that humans and their behaviour are still the weakest links in the security chain, and the most sophisticated anti-malware software in the world can’t protect you against people clicking on something that perhaps they shouldn’t.
There are many threats posed to your IT and e-commerce systems. People from both inside and outside your business - employees and hackers - may try to gain unauthorised access to your applications and information. Once they have accessed your systems, they can compromise your data and applications, either unintentionally or maliciously.
Some of the most common security threats to your business are:
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Viruses+
Description:
A virus is a piece of software that can replicate itself and infect a computer without the permission or knowledge of the user. A virus can only spread when it is transmitted by a user over a network or the internet, or through removable media such as CD's or memory sticks. Viruses are sometimes confused with worms and trojan horses, or used incorrectly to refer to malware.
Worst case damage:
Some viruses delete files, reformat the hard disk or cause other damage. Others only replicate themselves and may present text, video, or audio messages. While they are not designed to do damage, even these viruses take up memory and may cause erratic behaviour, system crashes and loss of data.
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SPAM+
Description:
SPAM is electronic junk email. The amount of spam has now reached 90 billion messages a day. Email addresses are collected from chat rooms, websites, newsgroups and by trojans which harvest users` address books.
SPIM is a spam sent via internet messaging systems such as Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger and ICQ.
SPIT is Spam over the Internet Telephony. These are unwanted automatically dialled, pre-recorded phone calls using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
Worst case damage:
Spam can clog a personal mailbox, overload mail servers and impact network performance. On the other hand, efforts to control spam such as by using spam filters run the risk of filtering out legitimate email messages. Perhaps the real danger of spam is not so much in being a recipient of it as inadvertently becoming a transmitter of it. Spammers frequently take control of computers and use them to distribute spam, perhaps the use of a botnet. Once a user's computer is compromised, their personal information may also be illegally acquired.
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Spyware+
Description:
Spyware software that is secretly installed on a computer without the user's consent. It monitors user activity or interferes with user control over a personal computer.
Worst case damage:
Spyware programs can collect various types of personal information, such as websites visited, credit card details, usernames or passwords, as well as install other malware, redirect web browsers to malicious websites, divert advertising revenue to a third party or change computer settings (often leading to degraded or unstable system performance, slow connection speeds or different home pages).
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Adware+
Description:
Adware is software which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertisements to a computer. The adware runs either after a software program has been installed on a computer or while the application is being used. In some cases, adware is accepted by users in exchange for using software free-of-charge. Not all adware is innocuous, however. Some types of adware are also spyware and therefore a threat to privacy.
Worst case damage:
Adware is relatively harmless unless it is spyware (see spyware). It can, however, cause degradation in system performance.
All of which can be reactively combatted using the right tools such as Anti-Virus softwares and Hardware Firewalls.
Another potential risk can come from the use of social networking websites . These have been targeted by hackers who add links in their posts that point to popular current events or entertainment news websites.
These links can take you to phishing websites, these are imitation websites. These websites have the potential to infect your computer with viruses, worms or Trojans. More commonly these websites are used to obtain confidential information or install keystroke logging or 'keyloggers' on your computer - software that records your keyboard strokes as you type. This way, your personal details can be stolen for malicious purposes.
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