The security threats that small businesses face in today’s cyber world – Spyware and Phishing

Other threats include hacking, worms, trojans and viruses but these are not discussed here.

Spyware is the term used to refer to malware such as a key-logger. A key-logger is similar to any other form of malware in the sense that it is designed to harm business operations. It usually (like a virus) arrives disguised as something else in the form of an e-mail with an attachment. When the user opens the attachment, it will install itself onto the computer without the user’s knowledge. The key-logger will then keep track of which keystrokes the user is inputting into the computer and send this information off to its creator. This is especially dangerous where for example, the owner of a small business is typing in online banking details into a bank’s website, since the key-logger will recognise this as important information and it could seriously compromise the business’ finances if the key-logger creator were to have access to this information. Hence, never open e-mails from untrusted sources. It is also highly recommended that one never does online banking on public computers, since one never knows who has used the computers before and what malware (such as key-loggers) could be installed on them.

Similarly, phishing is whereby a user will receive an e-mail from their ‘bank’ asking them to input their login details into an identical-looking but false website. Never respond to these e-mails, as a bank will never ask you for your login details in an e-mail and secondly, you will be sending someone the details of your bank account, which, if you are a small business, could mean the end of you financially. Only input login details into a bank’s real website, which can be identified by the ‘s’ after the ‘p’ in ‘http’ in the website’s address.

(Additional information relating to spyware, malware etc., can be viewed at the following websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malware and

http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/spyware-whatis.aspx).


Editing Partner: Girishka Ramesar

References:

• Computers, Part of Your Life Part 3 – A Textbook for Information Technology. Published by Study Opportunities. First edition (January 2008) – Noome, C; Gibson, K; Macmillan, P; Stoffberg, K, Wassermann, U. Pages 40 and 41.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malware - Accessed 7 March 2014.
• http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/spyware-whatis.aspx - Accessed 10 May 2014.