As internet and email become an ever-increasing part of our personal and work lives, the myriad of dangers and risks that we are exposed to is on the increase too. Unique Infotech offers extensive services to help combat virus, malware, adware and spyware threats for home and business customers.

Unique Infotech recommends Kaspersky Lab internet security products. Kaspersky Lab provides premium protection against viruses, spyware and Internet crime. Kaspersky is ranked number one worldwide in virus and spyware detection, and independent tests confirm that Kaspersky is the fastest to respond to virus outbreaks.

General information about threats can be found below and has been taken directly from the Kaspersky Lab website. Please see the Kaspersky Lab website for more information.

A virus is a program that replicates, i.e. it spreads from file to file on your system and from PC to PC. In addition, it may be programmed to erase or damage data.

Worms are generally considered to be a subset of viruses, but with certain key differences. A worm is a computer program that replicates, but does not infect other files. Instead, it installs itself once on a computer and then looks for a way to spread to other computers.

In the case of a virus, the longer it goes undetected, the more infected files there will be on the computer. Worms, however, create a single instance of their code. Moreover, unlike a virus, a worm code is stand-alone. In other words, a worm is a separate file while a virus is a set of code which adds itself to existing files.

A Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack is designed to hinder or stop the normal functioning of a web site, server or other network resource. There are various ways for hackers to achieve this. One common method is to flood a server by sending it more requests than it is able to handle. This will make the server run slower than usual (and web pages will take much longer to open), and may crash the server completely (causing all websites on the server to go down).

A distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack differs only in the fact that the attack is conducted using multiple machines. The hacker typically uses one compromised machine as the ‘master’ and co-ordinates the attack across other, so-called ‘zombie’, machines. Both master and zombie machines are typically compromised by exploiting a vulnerability in an application on the computer, to install a Trojan or other piece of malicious code.

This term describes a collection of programs used by a hacker to evade detection while trying to gain unauthorized access to a computer. The term originated in the Unix world, although it has since been applied to the techniques used by authors of Trojans that run under Microsoft® Windows® to conceal their actions. Rootkits have been used increasingly as a form of stealth to hide Trojan activity. When installed on the system, rootkits are not only invisible to users, but they are designed to escape detection of security software as well. The fact that many people log into their computers with administrator rights, rather than creating a separate account with restricted access, makes it easier for cybercriminals to install a rootkit.

Malware - short for malicious software - is an umbrella term that refers to any software program deliberately created to perform an unauthorized and often harmful action. Viruses, backdoors, keyloggers, password stealers and other Trojan horse programs, Word and Excel macro viruses, boot sector viruses, script viruses (batch, windows shell, java, etc.) and Trojans, crimeware, spyware and adware are but a few examples of what is considered malware.

It was once sufficient to call something a 'virus' or 'Trojan horse', but infection methods and vectors evolved and the terms virus and Trojan no longer provided a satisfactory definition for all the types of rogue programs that exist.

The term Trojan refers to the wooden horse used by the Greeks to sneak inside the city of Troy and capture it. The classic definition of a Trojan is a program that poses as legitimate software but when launched will do something harmful. Trojans can't spread by themselves, which is what distinguishes them from viruses and worms.

Today, Trojans are typically installed secretly and deliver their malicious payload without your knowledge. Much of today’s crimeware is comprised of different types of Trojans, all of which are purpose-built to carry out a specific malicious function. The most common are Backdoor Trojans (often they include a keylogger), Trojan Spies, password stealing Trojans and Trojan Proxies that convert your computer into a spam distribution machine.

In a drive-by download, your computer becomes infected just by visiting a website which contains malicious code. Cybercriminals search the Internet looking for vulnerable web servers that can be hacked. On such servers, cybercriminals can inject their malicious code (often in the form of malicious script) onto the web pages. If your operating system or one of your applications is un-patched, a malicious program is downloaded to your computer automatically when you access the infected web page.

These are programs which record key presses (i.e. what a user types on the keyboard) and can be used by a hacker to obtain confidential data (login details, passwords, credit card numbers, PINs, etc.). Backdoor Trojans typically come with an integrated keylogger.

Adware is the general term applied to programs that either launch advertisements (often pop-up banners) or re-direct search results to promotional web sites. Adware is often built into freeware or shareware programs: if you download a freeware program, the adware is installed on your system without your knowledge or consent. Sometimes a Trojan will secretly download an adware program from a web site and install it on your computer.

Web browsers that aren’t up-to-date often contain vulnerabilities. Such browsers are vulnerable to hackers tools (often referred to as Browser Hijackers) that can download adware to your computer. Browser Hijackers may change browser settings, redirect incorrectly typed or incomplete URLs to a specific site, or change the default homepage. They may also redirect searches to pay-to-view (often pornographic) web sites.

Typically, adware programs do not show themselves in the system in any way: there will be no listing under Start | Programs, no icons in the system tray and nothing in the task list. They seldom come with a de-installation procedure and attempts to remove them manually may cause the original carrier program to malfunction.

There may be no fish or rod in sight, but there is often a ‘catch of the day’ for criminals. Using this technique, they steal by tricking internet and email users into disclosing their personal details.

A phishing attack is a specific form of cyber crime. The criminal creates an almost 100 percent perfect replica of a chosen financial institution’s website, then attempts to trick the user in to disclosing their personal details – username, password, PIN etc – via a form on the fake website, allowing the criminal to use the details to obtain money.

Phishers use various techniques to trick users in to accessing the fake website, such as sending emails that pretend to be from a bank. These emails often use legitimate logos, a good business style and often spoof the header of the email to make it look like it came from a legitimate bank. In general, these letters inform recipients that the bank has changed its IT infrastructure and asks all customers to re-confirm their user information. When the recipient clicks on the link in the email, they are directed to the fake website, where they are prompted to divulge their personal information.

Just like burglars break into houses, hackers break into computers. Do you ever wonder how hackers get inside your computer? How can you stop them?

The term hacker was once used to describe a clever programmer. Today, it’s applied to those who exploit security vulnerabilities to break into a computer system. You can think of it as electronic burglary. Hackers regularly break into both individual computers and large networks. Once they have access, they may install malicious programs, steal confidential data, or perhaps use compromised computers to distribute spam.

Today’s computer software is very complex, comprised of thousands of lines of code. Since software is written by humans, it’s hardly surprising that they contain programming mistakes, known as vulnerabilities. These loopholes are used by hackers to break into systems; they are also used by authors of malicious code to launch their programs automatically on your computer.

Be it Trojans, keyloggers or spyware, ‘Crimeware’ represents a new type of threat to our security, posing new challenges for those tasked with fighting crime in the 21st century. Be aware.

Crimeware is malicious software that is covertly installed on computers. Most crimeware progams are in fact Trojans. There are many types of Trojans designed to do different things. For example, some are used to log every key you type (keyloggers), some capture screenshots when you are using banking websites, some download other malicious code, and others let a remote hacker access your system. What they each have in common is the ability to ‘steal’ your confidential information – such as passwords and PINs – and send it back to the criminal. Armed with this information, the cybercriminal is then able to steal your money.

Spam, spam, inglorious spam. The electronic equivalent of junk mail on your doormat is one of the chief annoyances of the internet age.

Spam is anonymous, unsolicited bulk email – it is effectively the email equivalent of physical junk mail delivered through the post. It is sent out in mass quantities by spammers who make money from the small percentage of recipients that actually respond. Spam is also used for phishing and to spread malicious code.

Over the last decade, the use of and delivery of spam has evolved. While spam was initially sent directly to computer users and easily blocked, in the coming years, high-speed Internet connections allowed spammers to send out mass mailings inexpensively and quickly, as did the discovery that individual users' modems could be accessed by anyone from anywhere in the world since they had no protection at all. In other words, unsuspecting internet users' connections could be used to send their spam in much higher volume.

That was until hardware manufacturers began securing their equipment, and filters became more proficient at blocking spam. Yet, spammer techniques have always evolved, not only in the way they send spam, but also in response to filters. The result is an ongoing battle between spammers and those working to prevent them, constantly trying to stay one step ahead in the fight to keep spam from clogging the information superhighway.