Major PC Threats
A form of spyware that can can monitor all of your computer activities. They can record keystrokes, e-mail messages, chat conversations, instant messages and websites you have visited. System monitors can also collect data from a remote location, store and retrieve the data at a later time. System monitors can allow your personal data such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers or even your Social Security number can be viewed by a third party. Very scary stuff.
Trojan Horse Programs
Also known as Trojan or Backdoor Trojan. Trojan horse programs enable computer hackers to make modifications or changes to your computer system. Unlike a virus program, a Trojan program cannot replicate or copy itself. Trojans are generally disguised as a harmless computer software program or application, distributed through the e-mail with attachments. Once the e-mail attachment has been opened, the Trojan can install itself on your computer without your knowledge or assistance.
Trojans have the ability to manage the files on your computer. This includes creating files, deleting files and renaming files. Trojans can even view your hard drive files and even transfer files to or from your computer system. Trojans may utilize a program application manager that enables malicious hackers to install, execute, open or even close software application programs.
Malicious hackers through use of Trojans can open and close your CD ROM drive, get control of your cursor and keyboard and even send spam from an infected computer. Trojans can run in the background completely undetected, until you run a scan specifically for spyware, adware and other known threats. Trojans make it possible for a third party to gain control of your computer and perform the task the programmer has developed the Trojan to execute.
Viruses
Everyone's heard of them. They're programs or codes that replicate or copy themselves onto your computers systems. They infect other programs such as the boot sector, partion sector or documents that support macros by embedding itself or attaching itself to that medium. Most computer viruses just replicate themselves and many of them also do damage to users computers.
Worms
Worms are programs replicate themselves over an entire computer network and generally perform malicious activity. Worms can be programmed to consume your computers resources and cause your computer to crash or shut down. The name worm is an acronym for "write once, read many." An example of a worm would be the Sasser worm or W32. Sawwer.A and its variants infected millions of computer users of corporate and private systems.
