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Know Your Security Threats:

Here are some basic definitions of various computing security terms.

• Spam - Electronic junk mail, or junk postings to newsgroups or discussions boards. Some define Spam as any unsolicited e-mail. Roughly 75% of all email sent today is Spam.
• Viruses - A program or script that is loaded onto a computer without the user's knowledge and runs without user control. Viruses can replicate themselves. All computer viruses are man-made. Even a simple virus is dangerous because it can quickly use all available memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of virus is one capable of transmitting itself across networks and bypassing security systems. Viruses can be contracted via emails and email attachments as well as through files accessed from the Internet.
• Worms - A worm is a special type of virus that can replicate itself and use memory, but cannot attach itself to other programs. Like other viruses, worms can be transmitted via email messages and email attachments and as well as through files accessed from the Internet.
• Trojan Horses – A destructive program that masquerades as a benign application. Unlike viruses, Trojan horses do not replicate themselves, but they can be just as destructive. Like viruses, Trojan horses can be contracted from emails or email attachments as well as through files accessed from the Internet.
• Spyware– Any software that covertly gathers user information through the user’s Internet connection without his or her knowledge. The information collected via spy ware is usually for marketing research purposes.
• Social Engineering –The practice of obtaining confidential information by manipulation of legitimate users. Social engineering is the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain otherwise secure data by conning an individual into revealing secure information.
• Phishing – A type of security attack that relies on social engineering by luring the victim into revealing information based on the human tendency to believe in the security of a brand name because they associate the brand name with trustworthiness. For example, phishing is when someone pretends to be a legitimate company like Bank of America, and sends an email to an unsuspecting user asking for personal information, such as bank account information.
• Shoulder Surfing – When someone watches a user trying to see what is on the user's computer screen in the hopes of gaining access to private information.