Threats

From Viruses to Cybercrime

In the past, PCs were mainly under threat from viruses and worms. The main purpose of these programs was to spread; however, some programs were also designed to cause damage to files and PCs. Such malicious software, or “malware”, could be described as ‘cyber vandalism’. In the majority of cases, the goal of viruses and worms was to spread as much as possible, with a high infection rate leading to fame for that program.

But in recent years, the situation has changed drastically.

Today, the biggest threat faced by computers is crimeware. This malicious software is written by cybercriminals with the purpose of making money illegally. Crimeware may take the form of viruses, worms, Trojans or other malicious programs.