INTERNET THREATS

GENERAL ED UCATION ELECTIV E 1

INTERNET THREATS
Internet-based threats expose people and computer systems to
harm online. A broad scope of dangers fits into this category,
including well-known threats like phishing and computer viruses.
However, other threats, like offline data theft, can also be considered
part of this group.
 Reduce risks by following a few simple
rules

You can reduce your risks of having your information stolen if you always
think before sharing something online. Ask yourself whether a link or
email is safe to open, and consider whether you're using a safe device
and network for certain online activities such as shopping or accessing an
online banking portal.

Don't respond to an unsolicited email, text, or telephone message

directing you to a website or requesting confidential information like login
credentials or social security numbers. Instead contact your bank, social
media site, etc., using telephone numbers or links you know to be good
and verify whether the information is required.
Reduce risks by following a few simple
rules

Another rule to follow is to avoid oversharing online. It's
very easy to reveal your location on social media or share
information that can be used to open one of your online
accounts, including your birthday or answers to security
questions such as a pet's name or a school you attended.
Keep your social media profiles private and avoid sharing
any kind of personal details.
HACKING
Hacking is a term used to describe
actions taken by someone to gain
unauthorized access to a computer. The
availability of information online on the
tools, techniques, and malware makes it
easier for even non-technical people to
undertake malicious activities. The
process by which cyber criminals gain
access to your computer
What it can do
• Find weaknesses (or pre-existing bugs) in your security
settings and exploit them in order to access your
information.
• Install a Trojan horse, providing a back door for hackers
to enter and search for your information.
 Malware
Malware is one of the more
common ways to infiltrate or
damage your computer.
Malicious software that
infects your computer, such
as computer viruses, worms,
Trojan horses, spyware, and
adware
 What it can do:
• Intimidate you with scareware, which is usually a pop-up
message that tells you your computer has a security problem
or other false information.
• Reformat the hard drive of your computer causing you to
lose all your information.
• Alter or delete files.
• Steal sensitive information.
• Send emails on your behalf.
• Take control of your computer and all the software running
on it
 Pharming
Pharming is a common type of
online fraud. A means to point
you to a malicious and
illegitimate website by
redirecting the legitimate URL.
Even if the URL is entered
correctly, it can still be
redirected to a fake website
 What it can do:
• Convince you that the site is real and legitimate by
spoofing or looking almost identical to the actual site down
to the smallest details. You may enter your personal
information and unknowingly give it to someone with
malicious intent
 Phishing
Phishing is used most often by cyber
criminals because it's easy to
execute and can produce the results
they're looking for with very little
effort. Fake emails, text messages
and websites created to look like
they're from authentic companies.
They're sent by criminals to steal
personal and financial information
from you. This is also known as
“spoofing”
 What it does:
• Trick you into giving them information by asking you to
update, validate or confirm your account. It is often presented
in a manner than seems official and intimidating, to encourage
you to take action.
• Provides cyber criminals with your username and passwords
so that they can access your accounts (your online bank
account, shopping accounts, etc.) and steal your credit card
numbers.
 Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of
malware that restricts access to
your computer or your files and
displays a message that
demands payment in order for
the restriction to be removed.
The two most common means
of infection appear to be
phishing emails that contain
malicious attachments and
website pop-up advertisements.
Types of Ransomware
WannaCry was a ransomware attack that spread to over
150 countries in 2017. It was designed to exploit a security
vulnerability in Windows
CryptoLocker: CryptoLocker is an example of ransomware
that was first seen in 2013. This ransomware is typically
spread through phishing emails.
Ryuk is a type of ransomware that typically targets very
large organizations
What it can do:
• There are two common types of ransomware:
• Lockscreen ransomware: displays an image that prevents you from
accessing your computer
• Encryption ransomware: encrypts files on your system's hard drive
and sometimes on shared network drives, USB drives, external hard
drives, and even some cloud storage drives, preventing you from
opening them
• Ransomware will display a notification stating that your computer or
data have been locked and demanding a payment be made for you
to regain access. Sometimes the notification states that authorities
have detected illegal activity on your computer, and that the payment
is a fine to avoid prosecution
 What you can do:
• Do not pay the ransom. These threats are meant to scare and
intimidate you, and they do not come from a law enforcement
agency. Even if you submit payment, there is no guarantee that you
will regain access to your system.
• If your computer has been infected (i.e. you are unable to access
your computer or your files have been encrypted), contact a
reputable computer technician or specialist to find out whether your
computer can be repaired and your data retrieved.
• In order to lessen the impact of a ransomware infection, be sure to
regularly back-up your data with a removable external storage drive.
It's possible that your files might be irretrievable; having an up-to-
date backup could be invaluable
Spam
Spam is one of the more common methods of both
sending information out and collecting it from
unsuspecting people. The mass distribution of unsolicited
messages, advertising or pornography to addresses which
can be easily found on the Internet through things like
social networking sites, company websites and personal
blogs
What it can do:
• Annoy you with unwanted junk mail.
• Create a burden for communications service providers
and businesses to filter electronic messages.
• Phish for your information by tricking you into following
links or entering details with too-goodto-be-true offers
and promotions.
• Provide a vehicle for malware, scams, fraud and threats
to your privacy
Spyware (Spyware & Adware)
Spyware and adware are often used by third parties to infiltrate your
computer. What it is: Software that collects personal information
about you without you knowing. They often come in the form of a
‘free' download and are installed automatically with or without your
consent. These are difficult to remove and can infect your computer
 What it can do:
• Collect information about you without you knowing about it
and give it to third parties.
• Send your usernames, passwords, surfing habits, list of
applications you've downloaded, settings, and even the version
of your operating system to third parties.
• Change the way your computer runs without your
knowledge.
• Take you to unwanted sites or inundate you with
uncontrollable pop-up ads
Trojan Horses
A Trojan horse may not be a term you're familiar with, but there's a
good chance you or someone you know has been affected by one. A
malicious program that is disguised as, or embedded within, legitimate
software. It is an executable file that will install itself and run
automatically once it's downloaded
What it can do:
• Delete your files.
• Use your computer to hack other computers.
• Watch you through your web cam.
• Log your keystrokes (such as a credit card number you
entered in an online purchase).
• Record usernames, passwords and other personal
information
Viruses
Most people have heard of computer viruses, but not
many know exactly what they are or what they do.
Malicious computer programs that are often sent as an
email attachment or a download with the intent of infecting
your computer, as well as the computers of everyone in
your contact list. Just visiting a site can start an automatic
download of a virus.
 What they can do:
• Send spam.
• Provide criminals with access to your computer and contact lists.
• Scan and find personal information like passwords on your computer.
• Hijack your web browser.
• Disable your security settings.
• Display unwanted ads.
• When a program is running, the virus attached to it could infiltrate your
hard drive and also spread to USB keys and external hard drives. Any
attachment you create using this program and send to someone else
could also infect them with the virus
 How will you know if your
computer is infected?
• It takes longer than usual for your computer to start up, it restarts on its own or doesn't start up
at all.
• It takes a long time to launch a program.
• Files and data have disappeared.
• Your system and programs crash constantly.
• The homepage you set on your web browser is different (note that this could be caused by
Adware that has been installed on your computer).
• Web pages are slow to load.
• Your computer screen looks distorted.
• Programs are running without your control
Wi-Fi Eavesdropping
WiFi eavesdropping is another method used by cyber
criminals to capture personal information. Virtual
“listening in” on information that's shared over an
unsecure (not encrypted) WiFi network.

What it can do:

• Potentially access your computer with the right
equipment.
• Steal your personal information including logins and
passwords.
Worms
Worms are a common threat to computers and the
Internet as a whole. A worm, unlike a virus, goes to work
on its own without attaching itself to files or programs. It
lives in your computer memory, doesn't damage or alter
the hard drive and propagates by sending itself to other
computers in a network
What they can do:
• Spread to everyone in your contact list.
• Cause a tremendous amount of damage by shutting
down parts of the Internet, wreaking havoc on an internal
network and costing companies’ enormous amounts of
lost revenue.
THANK YOU