Introduction
9
Riskware
Potentially dangerous software that does not have a malicious function but
can be used by hackers as an auxiliary component for a malicious code,
since it contains holes and errors. Under certain conditions, having such
programs on your computer can put your data at risk. These programs in-
clude, for instance, some remote administration utilities, keyboard layout
togglers, IRC clients, FTP servers, and all-purpose utilities for stopping
processes or hiding their operation.
Spyware
Software that collects information about a particular user or organization
without their knowledge. You might never guess that you have spyware
installed on your computer. In general, the goal of spyware is to:
•
trace user actions on a computer;
•
gather information on the contents of the hard drive; in such
cases, this more often than not involves scanning several
directories and the system registry in order to compile a list of
the software installed on the computer;
•
gather information on the quality of the connection, bandwidth,
modem speed, etc.
Jokes
Software that does not do any direct damage but displays messages stat-
ing that damage has already been done or will be done under certain con-
ditions. These programs often warn the user of dangers that do not exist,
such as messages that pop up about formatting the hard drive (although
no formatting actually takes place) or detecting viruses in uninfected files.
PornWare
Programs that make modem connections with various pay-per-use web-
sites, generally pornographic in nature.
Hack Tools
Software used by hackers to penetrate your computer for their own ends.
They include various illegal vulnerability scanners, password cracking
programs, and other types of programs for cracking network resources or
penetrating a system.
Other dangerous programs
Programs created to set up DoS attacks on remote servers, hacking into
other computers, and programs that are part of the development environ-
ment for malicious programs. These programs include hack tools, virus
