PHzkrittlez_1337
Forum Veteran
Spyware
As the name suggests, their intention is to spy.
They spy for information, pertaining to either
persons or organizations,
which can be used later for malicious purposes.
They track or monitor the activities of others. The
information
collected is either misused or passed on to other
interested parties. There are even official spyware
which are used
by Governments and national agencies. These work
secretly or in s†éálth mode. Examples include
Tracking Cookies,
which track what you did on the web pages, and
*********s (e.g., ComputerSpy), which can log
everything you’ve
typed including user IDs and passwords.
Adware
These are typically software applications. The
purpose of these is to generate revenue for the
owner of the site, which
compensates for the amount spent by him in
creating the software application. These may be
part of many websites.
These advertisements may be in the form of
popups, streaming messages, through sections on
the web page, or
through a bar on the screen. These may be
interesting and eye-catching advertisements or
unwanted advertisements.
However, the underlying code within these
advertisements may track a user’s personal
behavior and pass on the
information to the interested third parties. Many of
these advertisements also publish free ware like
games and tools.
Again these may be planted there with a malicious
intention and being clicked on to explore further,
may download
malicious software which may carry out the
intended functionality, but at the same time, they
may also carry out
many unintended activities without the user being
even aware of them, unless he/she is protected by
a strong
anti-virus software.
Trojans
This is the short form used for “Trojan Horses.”
These are programs with malicious code embedded
within a
presumably well intended application or utility or
tool or game. These do the intended function for
the user in the
foreground, but also do unintended functions like
compromising the system and providing access to
the system and
its files to an attacker, in the background. These
get downloaded along with other programs in which
the users are
interested. Some examples of the popular Trojans
are: Flame, Zero Access, DNSChanger, Banker,
Downloader, Back
Orifice, Zeus, and Beast.
Viruses
These are basically malicious software that attach
themselves to other files in the form of executables.
These require
carriers. They are self-replicating and get activated
and infect other files when the carrier is executed.
These carriers
are usually genuine files like system files. Some of
the popular viruses are: Michelangelo, Brain, Klez,
Wullick-B, SQL
Slammer, Sasser, and Blaster.
Worms
These are self-replicating malicious software which
can propagate or proliferate on their own. They are
like selfpropelling rockets. They do not require a
separate carrier. They can multiply themselves and
can propagate out of
the networks, infecting other networks and other
systems, thus creating huge havoc or damages.
Some of the popular
worms are: Melissa, Explorer.zip, Love Bug,
ILOVEYOU, Code Red, The Sober, W32.Nimda, and
W32.Stuxnet.
Backdoors
Backdoors are the malicious software which are
installed on a system with the intention of having
access to the
system at a later date. A backdoor may be installed
through a Trojan. These are usually in s†éálth mode
and get
activated by the attackers based on their intentions.
Examples are: Remote Access Trojans,
Backdoor.Trojan, Trini,
and Donald ****.
Botnets
These are a network of zombies or a zombie army
which are already compromised / infected by
attackers and which
are used for attacking other systems. These are
used to initiate attacks like the denial of service or
distributed denial
of service, etc. on other systems. These attacks are
carried out by pooling the infected systems as a
botnet so that
the impact can match the scale required. These
networks of zombies have zombies from across the
world. These are
infected with a “bot” which connect them to “bot
controllers” and other bots. Hence, these are known
as “Botnets.”
Most of these malware work silently or in s†éálth
mode without announcing their arrival or presence,
particularly
spyware, Trojans, and Backdoors.
As the name suggests, their intention is to spy.
They spy for information, pertaining to either
persons or organizations,
which can be used later for malicious purposes.
They track or monitor the activities of others. The
information
collected is either misused or passed on to other
interested parties. There are even official spyware
which are used
by Governments and national agencies. These work
secretly or in s†éálth mode. Examples include
Tracking Cookies,
which track what you did on the web pages, and
*********s (e.g., ComputerSpy), which can log
everything you’ve
typed including user IDs and passwords.
Adware
These are typically software applications. The
purpose of these is to generate revenue for the
owner of the site, which
compensates for the amount spent by him in
creating the software application. These may be
part of many websites.
These advertisements may be in the form of
popups, streaming messages, through sections on
the web page, or
through a bar on the screen. These may be
interesting and eye-catching advertisements or
unwanted advertisements.
However, the underlying code within these
advertisements may track a user’s personal
behavior and pass on the
information to the interested third parties. Many of
these advertisements also publish free ware like
games and tools.
Again these may be planted there with a malicious
intention and being clicked on to explore further,
may download
malicious software which may carry out the
intended functionality, but at the same time, they
may also carry out
many unintended activities without the user being
even aware of them, unless he/she is protected by
a strong
anti-virus software.
Trojans
This is the short form used for “Trojan Horses.”
These are programs with malicious code embedded
within a
presumably well intended application or utility or
tool or game. These do the intended function for
the user in the
foreground, but also do unintended functions like
compromising the system and providing access to
the system and
its files to an attacker, in the background. These
get downloaded along with other programs in which
the users are
interested. Some examples of the popular Trojans
are: Flame, Zero Access, DNSChanger, Banker,
Downloader, Back
Orifice, Zeus, and Beast.
Viruses
These are basically malicious software that attach
themselves to other files in the form of executables.
These require
carriers. They are self-replicating and get activated
and infect other files when the carrier is executed.
These carriers
are usually genuine files like system files. Some of
the popular viruses are: Michelangelo, Brain, Klez,
Wullick-B, SQL
Slammer, Sasser, and Blaster.
Worms
These are self-replicating malicious software which
can propagate or proliferate on their own. They are
like selfpropelling rockets. They do not require a
separate carrier. They can multiply themselves and
can propagate out of
the networks, infecting other networks and other
systems, thus creating huge havoc or damages.
Some of the popular
worms are: Melissa, Explorer.zip, Love Bug,
ILOVEYOU, Code Red, The Sober, W32.Nimda, and
W32.Stuxnet.
Backdoors
Backdoors are the malicious software which are
installed on a system with the intention of having
access to the
system at a later date. A backdoor may be installed
through a Trojan. These are usually in s†éálth mode
and get
activated by the attackers based on their intentions.
Examples are: Remote Access Trojans,
Backdoor.Trojan, Trini,
and Donald ****.
Botnets
These are a network of zombies or a zombie army
which are already compromised / infected by
attackers and which
are used for attacking other systems. These are
used to initiate attacks like the denial of service or
distributed denial
of service, etc. on other systems. These attacks are
carried out by pooling the infected systems as a
botnet so that
the impact can match the scale required. These
networks of zombies have zombies from across the
world. These are
infected with a “bot” which connect them to “bot
controllers” and other bots. Hence, these are known
as “Botnets.”
Most of these malware work silently or in s†éálth
mode without announcing their arrival or presence,
particularly
spyware, Trojans, and Backdoors.
