Threats to your website
There are many different types of threats that are posed to websites. One of the most known threats is malware. These are distributed through web pages and are found in places where people are less likely to expect them; such as on web pages that offer useful information (wiki) or on a friend’s or family’s web page. Malware consists of malicious codes that attack computers, similar to what a virus or worm does. Usually it is activated after clicking on what seems to be a harmless button. A pop up window appears in forms like download screens or automatic update windows. It then tries to download a Malware Cocktail, as called by McAfee. These cocktails contain additional downloads that have Trojans and remote administration tools.
A lot of these threats are spyware. Some are harmless, usually tracking your online habits and spamming you with popup windows and other advertisements that relate to your online activities and searches. There are even spyware that have toolbars that download onto your browser, similar to that of Google, and will suggest products and services to buy. Other spyware can be much more sophisticated; they have loggers that keep records of everything you type, looking for your passwords, usernames and other personal information like credit card numbers and social security numbers.
Spam isn’t as much of a threat as it is a pest. When you first open an email account, you will notice that you won’t receive any emails from anyone except your internet provider and close friends and family or whoever else has your email address. When you begin signing up to web sites or giving out your information on surveys, you will notice a load of emails from unknown senders with advertisements and scams. These are called spam or junk mail; similar to what you receive at home.
DDOS, also known as denial of service, is a storm worm that has been attacking computers. On January 12, 2007, a number of anti-spam web sites were attacked by these denial-of-service Trojans. It was one of several attacks that were dropped onto systems that were infected by a seeding of email viruses called the Storm Worm (W32/Small.DAM and Trojan.Peacomm). Similar Malware was also released in November and December of 2006, which were labeled Win32/Nuwar.
When the Storm Worm runs, it tries to connect with other infected hosts with the peer-to-peer networking. It then gets a URL that point to another executable files which then download other stages onto the system that is infected. These stages are named game5.exe and each component within the executable file has a specific function to serve.
Besides attacking the anti-spam web sites, IP addresses have also been contained by the configuration file, for web sites associated with the Warezov virus. This is another anti-spam system, likely a competitor of other spam groups. All who are associated with the site, spammers and anti-spammers alike, are at risk of being attacked by the DDOS malware. Third party services are also at risk if associated.