Internet Predators

There are really several kinds of Internet predators. They are all bad - invarying degrees.

Some predators use the Internet the same way that they might use the phone system. They send you email designed to entice you into bad deals, or to physh (fish) for personal information. Over the years, most people have learned to be wary of such phone calls, but the Internet is a new environment, causing some folks to drop their guard. This kind of physhing scheme can be very low-tech. An example is the Nigerian con. Physhing can also be very slick high-tech email - using spoofing to make the email look like an official bank message. These malevolent methods and our counter-measures will be covered later.

Some predators create sophisticated traps for the unsuspecting web surfer to fall into. Some traps are sent to you wrapped in pretty packages called "trojan horses", other traps lie in wait on malicious web sites.

Then there are the hackers. The term, hacker, used to apply to anyone who knew how to delve deep into an application, and make precision modifications. Now, the name hacker is reserved for the person who makes worms and viruses and other malware. And those who make direct attacks upon your PC through your Internet connection are also hackers. These malware and our counter-measures will also be covered later.