Spyware, also known as “adware,” is defined as a dangerous type of malware that quietly gathers a user’s sensitive information, including their browsing and computing habits, and reports it to unauthorized third parties. Your compromised information can then become a target for financial crimes, identity theft and more. To prevent and protect against spyware, security […]

A program that spreads by first infecting files or the system areas of a computer or network router’s hard drive and then making copies of itself. Some viruses are harmless, others may damage data files, and some may destroy files entirely. Protect yourself and your devices with up-to-date antivirus software.

Ransomware identifies the drives on an infected system and begins to encrypt the files within each drive. Ransomware generally adds an extension to the encrypted files, such as .aaa, .micro, .encrypted, .ttt, .xyz, .zzz, .locky, .crypt, .cryptolocker, .vault, or .petya, to show that the files have been encrypted—the file extension used is unique to the […]

Cybercriminals perform social engineering techniques such as phishing, baiting and spear phishing to manipulate their targets into disclosing personal information. Social engineering relies on human interaction to get access to the confidential information they need to commit cybercrimes. An attacker may seem unassuming and respectable, possibly claiming to be a new employee, repair person, or […]

Internet of Things (IoT) or smart devices refers to any object or device that is connected to the Internet. This rapidly expanding set of “things,” which can send and receive data, includes cars, appliances, smart watches, lighting, home assistants, home security, and more. Cars, appliances, wearables, lighting, healthcare, and home security all contain sensing devices […]

Identity theft is the illegal acquisition and use of someone else’s personal information to obtain money or credit. Signs of identity theft include bills for products or services you did not purchase, suspicious charges on your credit cards, or new accounts opened in your name that you did not authorize.