Internet Safety: Malware

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Spyware
3. Adware
4. Key Loggers
5. Rogue Diallers
6. DoS Attack
7. Spam

Rogue Diallers

Rogue Diallers are a type of computer software used by unscrupulous vendors of adult material on the Internet.

The rogue dialler software, once downloaded, acts in a similar way to a virus, but with the purpose of disconnecting a system's modem from its usual Internet Service Provider (ISP) and reconnecting it to another ISP. The user is then billed at a much higher rate for Internet access.

Note: Rogue Diallers are not spyware although they are hidden from the user. Their main purpose is to get the user onto an expensive, usually long-distance, communications link.

Click on this link to read the on-line article "The rogue dialler scam: are you a victim?": http://money.uk.msn.com/MyMoney/Insight/Money_Spinner/article.aspx?cp-documentid=143797

This type of attack is only a problem for systems that use a dial-up connection to access the Internet. This type of software should not be able to affect broadband users.

Next: DoS Attack