The most common computer threats today

On many occasions, any IT threat tends to be called a virus, which is not entirely correct, since each threat has a specific name. In this entry, we are going to learn the names given to each one of them and how they can endanger not only our personal computer but also the IT network of any company.

Considering that Spain is the third country in the world in terms of cyberattacks, with around 200,000 attacks daily according to the National Center for Critical Infrastructure Protection, it is always good to know what threats surround us. At Oceano IT, as specialists in IT maintenance Barcelona and Madrid, we list the most common ones for you.

It should be remembered that, although DDoS attacks are among the most lethal today, there are many other threats such as the ones we are going to list below.

• Malware – These are codes designed by cybercriminals whose goal is to alter the operation of any IT system, especially without the infected user noticing. They have the ability to corrupt files stored on the hard drive or even destroy certain files.
• Spyware – This is spying software that can collect information from a computer and transmit it without the affected person's knowledge, endangering the security of the affected computer (passwords, email accounts, bank accounts, etc.)
• Ransomware – For both computers and mobile phones, this is one of the fastest-growing threats lately. A program blocks either of these devices with a message demanding a ransom so the user can regain control. A ransom in Bitcoin is demanded so that the person or people who launched this threat cannot be traced.
• Phishing – This is another major current threat and comes via email. Through social engineering or with websites that perfectly simulate legitimate sites, confidential information is fraudulently obtained.
• Trojans – In this case, it is a program that, when executed, gives the attacker remote control over the infected device, often without the user's knowledge.
• Worms – They can replicate themselves in thousands of different ways in our system, causing our computer to send a large number of copies of itself to many other computers via email to our contacts, and then to theirs, becoming a serious threat.
• Backdoor – Sometimes, some malicious programmers leave a backdoor to bypass access security systems and access the system easily and without users' knowledge.

These are just some of the threats lurking on the network that can get us into trouble if we do not pay special attention to proper behavior regarding our Internet access, downloading programs or apps, or having good anti-malware and antivirus software on our device.