Other Security Threats - 2

Keylogger:

A Keylogger is a kind of Spyware. It is a computer program or piece of code that collects a record of all the keys you type on your keyboard. A person in a position to collect this data can possibly access your private affairs, such as your bank account or credit card details, your passwords and your private business or personal communications.

Phishing:

Phishing is a way of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Phishing Website:  A Website created by a hacker. It will look-a-like an original website (Such as Mail, Bank Website). When you enter your information in that website, it will send to the hacker.

Backdoor:

A Backdoor is a computer program or piece of code that could enable somebody to use your computer without your knowledge.  Some of the well known worms (e.g. Sobig and Mydoom) could install a backdoor on affected computers.

The term 'backdoor' really refers to the specific way in which this security breach works. Imagine a computer system where actions such as deleting files or installing software can only be performed by a user who has permission to do so – a user who had to log in, with a unique name. In that case the purpose of a backdoor is to secretly add a valid user with a password and permissions to do things like install and remove software, delete files, alter system settings and so on. This will be a 'hidden' user. I.e. you won't see the user name for this one at your login screen. By the way, all Unix type operating systems work in this way: they have a list of users who can perform actions on the computer only if they have been given permission.

A nasty reality of having a backdoor on your PC is that the open door might be used by anybody who finds it. In other words it's not like 'somebody stole the key to my door and can get in (until I change the lock)': it's more like 'somebody unlocked my door and now anybody can walk in'.

Zombie

A zombie is what your computer can become if you let malware in. Your computer has become a zombie if somebody else can use it for their own purposes without you knowing. Somebody could sneak some code onto your machine (with the code spreading as a virus or worm, for example) and then employ your machine to do things such as spread spam or attack other computers or networks.

Read Other Parts Of This Post :
Malware : Introduction, Virus, Worms, Trojan Horse
Other Security Threats : Part 1, Part 2, Innovative Ways To Fight Against Malware