Home and small businesses users face different online threats to companies and corporations.
- Malware: Is the generic name for all malicious software. Some talk of greyware which refers to software that’s annoying but not dangerous.
- Virus: Program designed to automatically copy itself from one computer to another. Viruses attach to other pieces of software or hide in images, games and music files. They usually travel from machine to machine by email, instant messaging or file transfers. Although some viruses are harmless, most are disruptive, the worst can stop a PC from working.
- Worm: Also a self-replicating program, but unlike viruses, worms can automatically travel from machine to machine without being attached to other software. This means in addition to any other damage they slow networks because they can consume bandwidth.
- Trojan: The name given to a program which looks harmless, but has an unexpected malicious purpose. Some start their mischief immediately, others may wait, possibly collecting data without the computer owner’s knowledge.
- Spyware: A program designed to collect information about a computer and its user that the spyware author can use to make money. Typically spyware may watch your web browsing and target pop-up advertising at you or divert you to other web sites.
- Rootkit: A program designed to change a computer’s operating system to hide the behaviour of other malware.
- Keylogger: Software that collects keyboard data – possibly to collect passwords or important account information. Keyloggers send this information to criminals allowing them to impersonate users and, for example, rob their online banking accounts.
- Botnet: Programs used to control, update or trigger activity in previously infected systems.
- Backdoor: A way of getting undetected access to a computer system.
- Zombie: A computer being controlled by another user to perform some malicious online tasks.
- Spam: Unwanted email, instant messages or other form of electronic communication. Spam clogs email inboxes and the sheer volume of spam (as much as 95% of all email traffic) slows networks.
- Phishing: is when someone fraudulently tries to get hold of important information such as passwords and bank account details by pretending to be a trustworthy source. Phishers may send authentic-looking emails asking for the data or with links to a fake web site.
- Adware: Strictly speaking this isn’t a threat, but an annoyance. It refers to any software that bombards you with unwanted advertising.
Build Your Own (Free) Security Suite for Windows
Your computer and data could be vulnerable from the moment you hit the on button. Threats multiply when you go online. While there’s no sure way to make your system safe, there’s plenty you can do to minimise risks. It's possible to get legal, professional-quality antivirus and other protective software to protect your PC for free.
Following are the best free antivirus, plus other free antivirus tools to keep you safe online or off:
Free Security Suite (anti-virus, anti-malware and firewall)
Outpost Security Suite FREE
Comodo Internet Security
FortiClient Lite
Free Antivirus software
AVG Free Antivirus
avast! Free Antivirus
Avira AntiVir Personal - Free Antivirus (recommended)
Microsoft Security Essentials
Comodo Antivirus
Panda Cloud Antivirus (What Is Cloud AntiVirus)
Immunet Free Antivirus (Online Protection with the Immunet Cloud)
ClamWin Free Antivirus
PC Tools Free AntiVirus
Free Firewall
Privatefirewall
PC Tools Firewall Plus (with Strong HIPS Protection) (recommended)
AVS Firewall
Comodo Firewall (with Strong HIPS Protection)
Online Armor Free (with Strong HIPS Protection)
SoftPerfect Personal Firewall (Simple firewall)
Ghostwall (Simple firewall)
Free Intrusion Prevention and Detection Utility (Hips)
PC Tools ThreatFire
Spyware Terminator
Free Adware and Spyware Blockers
Ad-Aware Free (recommended)
Spybot Search & Destroy
Spyware Doctor Starter Edition
SpywareBlaster
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