Computer Bytes - No. 11 While using the computer in business is a necessity and at home is fun for the kids, you should always be mindful of your Internet activity. There are threats that can come via email or downloads - all are designed to cause problems, either immediately or at a future date when some internal embedded parameter has been met. These problems can be as simple as having an animal pop up on your screen and run around or as serious as wiping out your hard drive. Some of the words you may have heard associated with these threats are Trojan Horse, Virus and Worm. Not necessarily as damaging but not to be dismissed are Adware, Phishing and Spyware. These last 3 are designed to harvest personal information from your computer. A Trojan Horse may arrive as a seemingly harmless email attachment. It is designed to destroy data or clear a path for a remote computer to gain access to personal files. A Virus is a program or code that replicates itself onto other files that it comes in contact with, most often causing damage to the computer or data. A Worm is a program that sends out copies of itself, causing damage and compromising a computer's security. Less destructive but none the less invasive are the following. Adware is designed to gather information from the user's computer and then relay the information back to a remote computer. Phishing is the unlawful acquiring of sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy company or person in what appears to be an official email. Spyware are programs that have the ability to scan systems and monitor activity and relay collected information to a remote computer without the user's knowledge. Spyware and Adware can be unintentionally downloaded from websites as shareware or come disguised in an email message. One simple way to protect your computer from these threats is not to open any email or attachments from unknown persons. There are several virus programs available for purchase or to download free on the Internet that will help protect your computer. When purchasing a virus program make sure your computer meets the program requirements, such as operating system and disk space. Keep your virus program current by downloading the manufacturers updates as you receive notice of them. One of the best Free virus programs on the Internet to download is through AVG at http://free.grisoft.com/. There are also Free Adware and Spyware programs available to download if you keep sensitive information on your computer. Moncrief Web2 Home Page Moncrief Web Design Computer Bytes Index Web Design | Search Engine Optimization | Site Maintenance & Management | Request Information | About Us ~ Sample Sites Send Us an Email | Home Page Copyright 2007 MWD. All rights reserved. Computer Bytes articles may not be reprinted, published, quoted, copied, or used in any manner whatsoever without the expressed written permission of David Moncrief.