Internet Security Threats are prevalent. Be alert!

Internet Security threats are widespread. One noted security software detected over 17,000 new internet threats every day. The moment you connect your PC to the Internet it becomes a potential target for cyber criminals. A Internet Security threat is any threat that uses the internet to facilitate cybercrime. Internet threats use multiple types of malware and fraud, all of which utilize HTTP or HTTPS protocols, but may also employ other protocols and components, such as links in email or IM, or malware attachments or on servers that access the Web. They benefit cybercriminals by stealing information for subsequent sale and help absorb infected PCs into botnets.

Web threats pose a broad range of risks, including financial damages, identity theft, loss of confidential information/data, theft of network resources, damaged brand/personal reputation, and erosion of consumer confidence in e-commerce and online banking.

Just as an unprotected home offers easy pickings for burglars, an unprotected PC is an open invitation to the writers of malware. Cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated and their number is growing exponentially.

Web threats can be divided into two primary categories, based on delivery method – push and pull:

1. Push-based threats use spam, phishing, or other fraudulent means to lure a user to a malicious (often spoofed) website which then collects information and/or injects malware. Push attacks use phishing, DNS poisoning (or pharming), and other means to appear to originate from a trusted source.

   Precisely-targeted push-based web threats are often referred to as spear phishing to reflect the focus of their data gathering attack. Spear phishing typically targets specific individuals and groups for financial gain. In other push-based web threats, malware authors use social engineering such as enticing subject lines that reference holidays, popular personalities, sports, pornography, world events and other hot topics to persuade recipients to open the email and follow links to malicious websites or open attachments with malware that accesses the Web.

2. Pull-based web threats are often referred to as “drive-by” threats, since they can affect any website visitor. Cybercriminals infect legitimate websites, which unknowingly transmit malware to visitors or alter search results to take users to malicious websites. Upon loading the page, the user’s browser passively runs a malware downloader in a hidden HTML frame (IFRAME) without any user interaction.

The growth of Internet Security Threats is a result of the popularity of the Web – a relatively unprotected, widely and consistently used medium that is crucial to business productivity, online banking, and e-commerce as well as the everyday lives of people worldwide. The appeal of Web 2.0 applications and websites increases the vulnerability of the Web. While users benefit from greater interactivity and more dynamic websites, they are also exposed to the greater security risks inherent in browser client processing.

Prevention and detection:

Conventional approaches have failed to fully protect consumers and businesses from web threats. The most viable approach is to implement multi-layered protection -- protection in the cloud, at the Internet gateway, across network servers and on the client. Trend Micro Protection Network if installed will provide multi-layered protection for internal and external threats. So will Zone Alarm Extreme Security and Kaspersky.

For more discussions on Security Threats and protection, visit these pages:

Firewall Softwares
Firewall Protection
Internet Security Software
Internet Security review
Internet security Information

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