Emails
The workings of emails are actually quite
simple. Each user has an email client. This program that sends and receives
email, this could be software on your desktop such as outlook or an online
service like those provided by websites such as yahoo or Hotmail. This is
responsible for sending and receiving its user’s mail. When it’s sent, the
email goes to a mail server (The server name is what is listed after the @ in
an email address) and to an individual post box. It stays there until it is
picked up by your email client. This means that an internet connection is
necessary to allow the client to access the servers.
The message is normally text based and easy
to compose but you can now send and receive HTML messages. The messages are
commonly sent using a simple mail transfer protocol-port 25 (also known as the
SMTP) server and received through either the post office protocol-port 110
(POP3) or the internet mail access protocol-port 143 (IMAP) server.
Emails are popular and commonly used due to
how easy they are to create, and the speed which they can be sent and received.
You also have the capability to send it to multiple people simultaneously as
well as the ability to attach almost any file type to be sent as long as there
is an internet connection.
This however comes with its disadvantages.
Spamming and spoofing is not at all uncommon as well as malicious software
being easily attached.
Spamming and spoofing
Spamming is sending a unsolicited email to
thousands of people and while not causing any damage, can get very frustrating
if you’re on the receiving end of to many. Spoofing Is when you change the name
in the “FROM” box on the email making it look like they are receiving an email
from someone else, although occasionally the intention is harmless this can
often be designed to trick into giving the sender some details that you
wouldn’t want them to see.
Phishing
Phishing is a type of spam designed to trick
you into entering personal or account information allowing the sender to commit
fraud or theft. This commonly uses spoofing to send you an email that appears to
come from a reliable source. It will then ask you to click a link to update
your account or download some software updates. You will then be asked to fill
in your details by giving them details such as the answers to your security
questions, your social security number, date of birth and your bank number and
pin.
Trojan horse
A Trojan
horse claims to be a simple computer program or game but then when it’s run
causes damage to your computer in a variety of different ways, from wiping your
hard drive to taking control of the users machine. Unlike other malicious
software Trojan horses have no way to replicate automatically.
Worm
A worm is
capable of replicating itself in large amounts once it’s installed without any
files being opened. Some then can “borrow” into the infected computer and can
allow the creator to take control of the computer.
Virus
A virus is a
bit of software that can attach itself to another piece of software then
replicate when it is opened allowing it to spread in a very similar fashion to a biological virus.
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