Hacking viruses are malicious programs that can take control of computers remotely, steal personal data and more. They are spread via peer-to-peer networks, emails and websites that offer downloads of content. It is possible to ward off the threat of a hacking virus by keeping your software up-to-date and avoiding downloading from unreliable sources and staying away from unsecure networks.
Hacking viruses are used by cybercriminals for many reasons. They may want create keystroke logs that track every word a user types. This gives the perpetrator everything they need to take over an identity and gain access bank accounts and credit cards, as well as other valuable information. They can also use an infected device as part of a botnet, a network that could be used to send spam www.hosting-helpdesk.com/collaboration-through-a-data-room-protection-against-selecting-and-copying messages or to launch attacks against other devices.
A virus may also be programmed to take over the function of a device by changing its start page redirecting search queries to an unwelcome web page or reversing the results generated by popular search engines. This kind of hacking is called a backdoor virus.
Hackers who were interested in finding low-tech ways to bypass secure telecommunications systems and expensive long distance calls were historically known as phreaks. Phreak is a mix of the words phone and freak. Today, the majority of people who are victims of hacking viruses do not have anything to do with have anything to do with telecommunications or a passion for tinkering around with technology. They are the unfortunate victims of malicious hackers who exploit weaknesses in security systems that are built-in to snoop on sensitive personal information, disrupt their own and other people’s normal computer usage and inflict monetary damage on the people they are targeting.
