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| Online Security Glossary Adware Programs that allow targeted advertising to be displayed on a customer's computer. Some companies can misuse Adware by failing to obtain customer consent to the advertising or to the tracking of customer's internet activity. Anti-Virus Software Anti-virus software is designed to detect incoming viruses (typically via email) and prevent them from infecting the PC. New viruses can spread very quickly, so you should ensure that your anti-virus software is always running and is updated on a regular basis. Browser A browser is software that provides a way to view Web pages. (eg. Microsoft® Internet Explorer and Netscape® Navigator.) Cookies Cookies are small files stored on a computer's hard drive. Cookies are generally harmless and are used to recognize a user so that they can receive a more consistent experience at a site. Cookies can contain information about your preferences that allows customization of a site for your use. Digital Certificates A digital certificate is an electronic means of establishing your credentials when doing business or other transactions on the Web. It is issued by a certification authority (CA). It contains your name, a serial number, expiration dates, a copy of the certificate holder's public key (used for encrypting and decrypting messages and digital signatures), and the digital signature of the certificate-issuing authority so that a recipient can verify the certificate holder. E-mail phishing The forgery of an e-mail, so that the message appears to have originated from someone or somewhere other than the actual source. The spoofed emails attempt to get recipients to open, respond to or divulge personal information from their solicitations. Encryption Encryption converts your data into an encoded form before it's sent over the Internet, stopping unauthorized users from reading the information. You know that your session is in a secure 'encrypted' environment when you see https:// in the address, and/or when you see the lock symbol at the bottom right corner of your browser window. Firewall A firewall helps protect your computer and its contents from outsiders on the Internet or network. A firewall acts as a barrier through which all information passing between the network or computer and external systems must travel. Firewalls analyze data and reject it if it does not conform to pre-configured rules. Hacker A person who either breaks into systems for which they have no authorization or intentionally overstep their bounds on systems for which they do have legitimate access, i.e., an unauthorized individual who attempts to penetrate information systems; to browse, steal, or modify data; deny access or service to others; or cause damage or harm in some other way. Identity Theft Identity theft is a crime in which a fraudster obtains key pieces of personal information, such as date of birth, bank details, or driver's license numbers, in order to impersonate someone else. The personal information collected is then used illegally to apply for credit, purchase goods and services, or gain access to bank accounts. Intrusion Detection A security service that monitors and analyzes system events to find and provide real-time or near real-time attempt warnings to access system resources in an unauthorized manner. This is the detection of break-ins or break-in attempts, by reviewing logs or other information available on a network. Keystroke Capturing/Logging Anything you type on a computer can be captured and stored. Such covert activity can be via a hardware device attached to the PC or by software running almost invisibly on the machine. The risk of encountering such keystroke logging is greater on PCs shared by a number of users, such as those in Internet cafes or libraries. Running anti-spyware software should reveal the presence of any such software on your PC. SSL Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol provides a high level of security for Internet communications. SSL provides an encrypted communications session between your browser and a server. SSL helps to ensure that sensitive information (e.g. credit card numbers, account balances and other proprietary financial and personal data) sent over the Internet between your browser and a server remains confidential during online transactions. Spam Unwanted emails offering products and services of dubious benefit are often called Spam. Various types of anti-spam software are available, but the first line of defense may be your own Internet Service Provider, many of whom offer spam filtering services. Spyware These are programs/files that may already reside on your PC. These programs often arrive as hidden components of "free" programs. They monitor usage and report back to bona-fide companies who may then sell the aggregated statistics. They are relatively benign but in their more extreme forms can include key-stroke logging and virtual snooping on all your PC activity. Trojan Horse Any legitimate appearing software that carries an unwanted destructive payload. Typically the payload is a virus that is used by hackers to gain unauthorized access to computer systems. Virus A computer program designed to replicate itself by copying itself into other programs stored in a computer. It may be benign but usually has a negative impact, such as slowing or corrupting a computer's memory and files. Worm A malicious program that replicates itself until it fills all of the storage space on a drive or network. |
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