Syazwanie's story: Software attacks and how to avoid it?

Assalamualaikum and hi to all of you.First this blog exist because of one of my subject that I'm taken this semester that is MGT417 require all of us to create a blog.Which i found interesting because at the same time we also can learn how to make a blog.Since the existence of this blog because of MGT417 i would like to share some of the interesting parts of information technology in my first post.

Okay i would like to discuss on the software attacks.Malicious software (malware) designed to damage,destroy or deny services to the targeted systems.Most common types of software attacks are viruses,worms,Trojan horses,logic bomb,denial-of-service and alien software.

1) VIRUS
It is segments of computer code that perform unintended actions ranging from merely annoying to destructive.A computer virus is a program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Viruses can also replicate themselves. All computer viruses are man-made. A simple virus that can make a copy of itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce. Even such a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of virus is one capable of transmitting itself across network and bypassing security systems.

2) WORMS
It is a destructive programs that replicate themselves without requiring another program to provide safe environment for replication.A computer worm is a standalone malware computer program that replicates itself in order to spread to other computers. Often, it uses a computer network to spread itself, relying on security failures on the target computer to access it. Unlike a computer virus, it does not need to attach itself to an existing program. Worms almost always cause at least some harm to the network, even if only by consuming bandwidth, whereas viruses almost always corrupt or modify files on a targeted computer.

3) TROJAN HORSES
A software programs that hide into another computer program and reveal their designed behavior only when they are activated. Trojan horse, or Trojan, is a non-self-replicating type of malware which appears to perform a desirable function but instead drops a malicious payload, often including a backdoor allowing unauthorized access to the target's computer. These backdoor tend to be invisible to average users. Trojans do not attempt to inject themselves into other files like a computer virus. Trojan horses may steal information, or harm their host computer systems.Trojans may use drive by-downloads or install via online games or internet-driven applications in order to reach target computers. The term is derived from the Trojan Horse story in Greek mythology because Trojan horses employ a form of “social engineering,” presenting themselves as harmless, useful gifts, in order to persuade victims to install them on their computers.

4) LOGIC BOMBS
It is designed to activate and perform a destructive action at a certain time or date.A logic bomb is a piece of code intentionally inserted into a software system that will set off a malicious function when specified conditions are met. For example, a programmer may hide a piece of code that starts deleting files (such as a salary databases trigger), should they ever be terminated from the company.

5) DENIAL-OF-SERVICE
An attacker sends so many information requests to a target system that the target cannot handle them successfully and can crash the entire system.In computing, a denial-of-service attack (DoS attack) or distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS attack) is an attempt to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users. Although the means to carry out, motives for, and targets of a DoS attack may vary, it generally consists of efforts to temporarily or indefinitely interrupt or suspend services of a host connected to the Internet.

6) ADWARE
It is designed to help popup advertisements appear on your screen. Adware, or advertising-supported software, is any software package which automatically renders advertisements in order to generate revenue for its author. The advertisements may be in the user interface of the software or on a screen presented to the user during the installation process. The functions may be designed to analyze which Internet sites the user visits and to present advertising pertinent to the types of goods or services featured there. The term is sometimes used to refer to software that displays unwanted advertisements.

The examples of adware

7) SPYWARE
Software that gathers user information through the user's Internet Connection without their knowledge for example password capture.Spyware is a software that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge and that may send such information to another entity without the consumer's consent, or that asserts control over a computer without the consumer's knowledge."Spyware" is mostly classified into four types: system monitors, trojans, adware, and tracking cookies.Spyware is mostly used for the purposes such as; tracking and storing internet users' movements on the web; serving up pop-up ads to internet users.

8) SPAMWARE
It is designed to use your computer as a launch pad for spammers

9) SPAM
Unsolicited e-mail usually for purpose of advertising.An electronic message is "spam" if the recipient's personal identity and context are irrelevant because the message is equally applicable to many other potential recipients and the recipient has not veritably granted deliberate, explicit, and still-revocable permission for it to be sent.

10) COOKIES
Small amount of information that Websites store on your computer temporarily or more or less permanently.A message passed from a web server to a web browser which is stored on the user's local hard drive in a small text file. A cookie can have many uses, the main one allowing a web server to identify a user and serve up customized web pages and or log in information to the user's web browser when revisiting a web page.

So,in order to avoid and protect our personal information from being attack by the software we can take several actions for example protect our computer with information security.

INFORMATION SECURITY is the practice of defending information from unauthorized access,use and disclosure.The U.S. National Information Systems Security Glossary defines "Information Systems Security" as the protection of information systems against unauthorized access to or modification of information, whether in storage, processing or transit, and against the denial of service to authorized users or the provision of service to unauthorized users, including those measures necessary to detect, document, and counter such threats.