Kaspersky Internet Security Powerful Internet Protectionl

While it may be superficially comforting to ignore the treats, those who have suffered major attacks know that it could be ruinous. It is better to wise up to the risks and take appropriate steps to mitigate them.

The Internet is Open

The internet is generally an open platform. When you are online, it is possible for someone to spy on your activities. What it means is that your confidential personal information can be accessed. Such information can be used to your detriment. In fact, everything within your computer can be remotely accessed, leaving you literally bare.

In other cases, the attackers can work to destroy files or corrupt programs in your computer or damage the computer itself or at least impair its performance.

Types of Online Security Threats

So, what are the specific kinds of security threats on the internet? Here are some of the major threats:

Viruses, Worms and Trojans
Viruses infect other programs, usually adding their own code and gaining control of the infected files. Viruses can access your PC via emails or websites you visit or media you transfer between one PC and another. Virus may slow down your PC or cripple it completely. In the later case, you may have to reformat you computer hard drive, possibly losing vital files and data stored in it.

Worms derive their name from their ability to replicate themselves and spread through the internet, infecting many users. It is a mischievous program that can copy itself from one PC to another via communication links. Often, they exploit security holes in the computer operating system or other bugs. An internet worm can use up the resources of your PC and crash it. The worm can also open a sort of ‘backdoor’ in your PC, enabling hackers to take advantage. Worms can have widespread impact, overstretching computers and communications systems and forcing them to crash.

Trojans are malicious programs that settle in your computer to harm you from within. Often you downloaded it as or with some software, usually free software. While in your computer, it may affect the performance of the computer or be designed to steal your confidential information which may then be abused.

Powerful Internet Security Software

Adware, Spyware and Malware
Adware is mainly for ad targeting and placement. Adware may not cause major harm but is intrusive because it tracks your online activity to serve ads to you. This one will mainly inconvenience you with ad pop-ups or other ad servings.

Spyware will spy your computer and activities, again maily for advertising purposes. Adware is part of spyware. As stated by Webopedia, “because spyware exists as independent executable programs, they have the ability to monitor keystrokes, scan files on the hard drive, snoop other applications, such as chat programs or word processors, install other spyware programs, read cookies, change the default home page on the Web browser, consistently relaying this information back to the spyware author”. That leaves you exposed and vulnerable.

Malware is a broader term for malicious software. Malware will generally access your computer without your knowledge and will mostly be of malicious or hostile intent. The following harmful programs/software come under malware categorization: computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, dishonest adware, scareware, crimeware, most rootkits

RootKit
This software is a masking agent to prevent detection of itself or other malware in your computer such that continued access to your computer or other malicious activity goes undetected. Rootkit will modify the operating system of your computer. With rootkit access, an attacker becomes a ‘landlord’ in your PC, having privileged access to what’s in your PC and what you do on it.

More Threats
These are just some of what you can attract online, especially when you use your computer without appropriate protection. In a bad case, identity theft, which can result when there is unauthorized access to your computer by hackers, could mean your financial assets can be hijacked or huge debts can be accumulated for you by those who have obtained the right information to impersonate you.

What to Do

What to do is easily cut out: don’t go online without online security protection for your PC. Basically, you need to install effective internet security software, which should include antivirus software and a firewall. Other software like spyware removal software will also be helpful.

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