By Chip Heberden, owner and president, Netlink, Inc.

Understanding computer exploits like malware and viruses and how to prevent them, are basic business survival skills these days regardless of your organization’s size.

Just like other technologies, security compromises are getting more innovative.  It pays to be aware of how to prevent infection and if compromised, lessen the risk of damage.

A computer exploit can involve any number of malicious codes that can be designed to capture personal information (name, address, passwords, even financial information), destroy data, or hold your data for ransom!  Exploits such as viruses and malware may use a variety of delivery methods, and cause different types of damage.  The malware designers take advantage of the same technology and processes that we use every day, stealthily working out ways to lure unsuspecting users into executing the code.

Here are two current trends using computer exploits.