adware
Advertising software which often accompanies freeware or shareware downloads. Adware displays advertisements while you use the accompanying program. It may also track your software usage or your surfing habits in order to target ads designed specifically to appeal to you.
botnet
A collection of zombie computers. Botnets are frequently used as launching pads for mass spam campaigns or Denial of Service(DoS) attacks.
cookie
A small file deposited on your hard disk when you visit a Web site. Cookies are used to recognise your return visits and store other information about you, including site usernames and passwords, display preferences, address details, and so on.
DoS
Denial of Service. An attack designed to bring a network to a standstill. A DoS attack floods the network with useless traffic.
hacker
A person capable of subverting computer security systems.
hijack
Take control of a browser and redirect its home page to another page.
key logger
A program (or hardware device) designed to record everything you type on the keyboard.
patch
A software Band-Aid applied to existing code to fix or circumvent a problem in the underlying software.
malware
A generic term for malicious or damaging programs and exploits, including viruses, spam, spyware and so on.
phishing
An attempt to steal personal information by means of fake email and Web sites masquerading as legitimate sites.
spoof
To fool by masquerading as something else. E-mail spoofing involves faking the “from” address in an email. Web site spoofing fakes the address shown in the address bar of the browser. Spoofers also mock up the content of the message or site so it matches a legitimate service.
spyware
Software installed without your knowledge or full, informed consent, which
tracks your computer usage and/or online activities.
Trojan
Short for Trojan Horse. Malicious code disguised as a benign program. Trojans are often used to deliver key-logging spyware.
virus
Code which infects other code and then replicates. The virus may also cause damage to the computer it infects.
worm
Code which replicates itself and sometimes causes damage to the computers it infects. A mass-mailing worm uses e-mail to replicate itself. Mass mailing worms, when activated, often scan an entire computer system for e-mail addresses (not just in contact lists but also within documents), and then e-mail themselves to those addresses.
zombie
An unsecured computer which has come under the control of a hacker.