WEEKLY REPORTS Latest Security Updates Top 10 Threats

As colder weather brings some consumers' thoughts to shopping for the holidays, a study shows fewer purchases being made over the Internet for fear of online phishing scams that steal personal information.

According to a recent study conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI) for Consumer Reports Web Watch, about 30 percent of American Internet users say they are cutting back on how often they make purchases, and nearly a quarter have stopped buying items online altogether. Over half of those surveyed who still make Internet purchases are more concerned about how Web Sites use their personal information and therefore read privacy policies and user agreements more thoroughly.

The reported decrease in online shopping may not hurt the Internet economy too badly, since according to a report by ACNielsen 325 million people across the world have purchased over the Internet during the past month.

Increased awareness may be just what online consumers need. An Anti-Phishing Working Group report shows over 13,000 online phishing scams were reported by Internet users in August.

Information, Protection and Prevention -- More Information About Holiday Shopping and Phishing
• Consumer Reports Web Watch

• ACNielsen Trend Report

• Anti-Phishing Working Group

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* Reading: Solutions, Prevention & Remedies
Additional summary information related to a specific type of solution or prevention that you should be considering. Depending upon the week, this section may have:
• Recent Windows security releases from Microsoft
• Recent updates to widely used anti-spyware programs
• Recent updates to widely used anti-virus programs
• Recent updates to other security programs & devices (ex: Firewalls, routers)
• Recent updates to various applications in wide use

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Read: Top Threats
These are viruses that are currently on the watch lists of major anti-virus software companies.

Name
What the threat is called. We use the name given each virus by Panda Software. Sometimes other anti-virus companies give the same threat a different name. Usually they use similar names.

Type
There are different characteristics associated with different types of threats.
• Virus - has the ability to replicate or infect computers or other programs
• Trojan Horse (or Trojan) - appear to be harmless programs when you get them. They unleash their payload when you double-click, open, or execute them.
• Phishing - a Web site or e-maill message posing as another company - usually one you know to fool you into giving the sender personal information.
• Worm - self replicates onto additional disks, computers or networks
• Spyware - installs on your system to collect information about your activity, preferences or interests
• Hoax - false messages sent by e-maill to mislead the recipient
• Backdoors - opens a security hole that allows outsiders to take control of your computer
• Dialer - uses your telephone to dial an outside number - sometimes a number that costs you money when dialed

Affects
Not all viruses affect all types of systems. Some, for example may affect only Windows 98 and 95, but not Windows XP or NT. Others affect all Windows systems, but not Macintosh. In this column, we show you the consumer systems that the threat is known to affect. We don't always include the servers that operate in your company's backroom.

Alert level
The level of awareness that anti-virus vendors suggest you need to have for each threat listed.
For each threat listed, we'll post a corresponding link here, so you can get more information to help you recognize, diagnose, prevent, and repair the problem.