Cyber Security: Threats
Threats are out there in cyber-space - threats to
Your original work (code, graphics or text) (from malware)
Your identity information (from malware)
Your computers and other devices that connect to the internet (from malware)
Your ability to communicate with others (from spam or denial of service (DoS) or distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks - often launched using botnets).
They arise from malware
Individuals or organisations that are pose the threats:
Cybercriminal: those carrying out cyber attacks for personal financial gain.
Spies: those engaged in espionage activities on behalf of either commercial organisations or national governments.
Hacktivists: those who carry out cyber attacks as a form of protest against organisations or governments.
Insider attacker: disgruntled or dishonest staff who attack their organisation's computer systems.
Apps - the potential threats
Apps for mobile devices are not always what they seem:
Some apps hide their icons (and use other tricks) to prevent the user uninstalling them - meanwhile they aggressively display advertising pop-ups.
Utility apps sometimes don't initially contain malware but include the code to download and install malware from elsewhere. This extra code, once installed may be designed to collect your banking details, or lock you out of your phone until you pay the criminals.
A VPN client that installs a trojan designed to capture banking details.
Fleeceware – apps that pretend to offer a free trial for some simple function and ask you to provide banking details first. Even after uninstalling the app, users still get charged a large amount unless they explicitly cancel the trial.
