With today’s technology advancements there are different online threats around the internet today. They can mostly be disguised as advertisement banners, applications, links in emails and more. The internet may be a great place for communication and entertainment, we have to be cautious with what we access.

If you are a website owner or just an individual that loves surfing the internet, here are some of the different online threats that you should know.

Must Know Online Threats and Prevention Tips

1. Trojan Horse

This is a type of malware that is often disguised as legitimate software. It can be used by cyber-thieves and hackers to gain access to a user’s system. When it is activated, it can enable cyber criminals to spy on you and steal your data. Aside from stealing, they can delete, block, modify, and copy your data.

2. DDoS Attack

Distributed Denial-of-service attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt the normal traffic of a specific server. This attack will send multiple requests to the resource as it is aiming to exceed the website’s capacity to handle multiple request, allowing it to no function properly.

3. Computer Worm

A computer worm is a type of malware that spreads copies of itself from one computer to another. They reproduce and spread and can quickly infect a large number of devices in a very short time. One of the most known type of computer worm is the ILOVEYOU worm which originated in the Philippines and attached tens of millions of Windows personal computers around the world.

4. Brute Force Attack

This is also known as brute force cracking which is a method of trial and error. This is being used in applications to decode passwords to Data Encryption Standard keys.

5. Email Malware

Email malware or malicious e-mail are attachments that are dangerous threats especially to corporate security. They are usually disguised as documents, PDFs, and other files that are designed to launch an attack on the victim’s computer when the file started to open.

6. Data Breach

This is the intentional or unintentional release of confidential information to an untrusted environment. It is also known as data leak and data spill. One of the largest data breaches in the world was Yahoo’s. In 2013 there were 3 billion Yahoo accounts compromised by a 2013 hack which makes this the biggest data breach in the internet.

7. Credit Card Fraud

When a person obtains unauthorized funds from a credit card holder. Credit card fraud is also a form of identify theft. A famous credit fraud attack happened between July 2005 and mid-January 2007, this was done by a capable computer hacker at TJX Companies exposed data from more than 45.6 million credit cards.

8. Phishing

This is an illegal attempt to gather personal data using deceptive ways such as emails, phone calls, or websites posing as a legitimate individual of an institution to lure a person into providing the most sensitive data such as usernames, personal information, baking details and passwords.

9. Botnets

A group of computers coordinately connected for malicious purposes are called Botners. Each computer is called a botnet, and they infection with malicious software to send malicious data.

10. Logic Bomb

They are a type of malware that is triggered by a response to an event such as launching an application when a specific date or time is reached. They can be embedded within a fake application or can be executed when you launch a fraudulent software.

How to Prevent Online Threats

Here are some of the rules you can follow to minimize the possibility of becoming a victim of any online threats.

1. Use a Firewall

A firewall separates your computer from the internet and decides what gets in or out. Firewalls may be the most effective Internet Security defense against hackers or intruders.

2. Be Cautious When Opening Email and Attachments

Most of us get dozens of unsolicited emails. Some of them may be in our spam folder. If you get an email you don’t recognize, or the subject line looks questionable, don’t open it and delete the e-mail and any attachments along with it.

3. Choose Complex Passwords

Make it difficult for hackers to guess. A recommended password is a combination of letters, numbers and even symbols that contains a minimum of 8 characters.

4. Update your Security

Hackers are also productive and are constantly creating new viruses. Therefore, it is much better to update your security software regularly.

If the prevention tips aren’t enough, then it is time for you call a reliable company that offers web security services, especially if you have a website!

Internet security is one of the most important things you should keep in your mind. You might be risking not just your computer files, but also your personal identity and life.

If you are looking for a company that offers website security, contact us today!

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