Spam: Spam is the general name for unsolicited electronic messages. It is most commonly seen as email but also occurs in almost all other digital formats including SMS, blogs and instant messaging. The term 'spam' is generally thought to have originated from a Monty Python Sketch where almost every item on the menu contains SPAM (the canned meat). This makes reference to World War II when SPAM was one of the few foods widely available. The excessive use of the term during the sketch has consequently led to the term being widely used to describe bulk and unwanted mail.

Phishing: This is a scam where the criminal poses as someone else in order to steal information from the victim. The most common is in the form of a email sent to the victim(s) asking to 'confirm your bank details by clicking the link'. The link will usually direct the victim to a fake site similar where they will enter personal information. The criminal will then use this information to commit some other fraud like steal you money and even your identity. Genuine companies will never ask for any personal information so never give your details in this form. It is very easy to copy a genuine website and make it appear exactly like the site you would expect. Always enter the web address manually into the address bar, or call the company to check and report the scam.

Pharming: This is similar to phishing but more dangerous because the criminal is able to redirect you from a legitimate website to their fake site without you knowing, even if you type the address manually. It is done through a process called 'DNS cache poisoning where the criminal is able to trick the local servers into providing you with a different website to the one you asked for. It is like changing the street signs to send traffic down the wrong street. Most websites that ask for personal information will have a small padlock in the lower right corner. You can check if the site is real by clicking the padlock to view the sites security certificate.

Joe- job: This is a type of spam where the sender poses as someone else in order to damage their reputation. It is usually done by a business to a competitor in order to damage their reputation and steal their customers. For example Yahoo could pose as Google and send out billions of unsolicited email saying 'We will now be charging to use our search engine" or something similar. The receiver would assume this has originated from Google and probably stop using the product. They may also report Google as a spammer which would result in further damage and possible fines. The same can be done by posing as someone else on forums and even the phone. Unfortunately it is currently very hard to pick a Joe- job but steps are being taken to help identify the sender of any email which will make it easier to track.

Evil Twin: Criminals set up a wireless network posing as a legitimate network. The idea is to trick users into thinking it is a trusted network and connecting. Once connected the criminal can track online activity and possibly steal files.

Spyware: This is a piece of software that secretly gathers information about the user. Spyware can track the websites you visit and even the keystrokes you make. This information can be used for advertising and marketing purposes but can also be used for criminal purposes. Spyware can be part of another program you buy or download, but can also come from email attachments and websites you visit. Luckily there are a range of products available to find and remove spyware,

Adware: This is a piece of software on your computer that automatically displays advertising material. Some adware is straight forward about what it is, such as a free file sharing programs that displays ads while you use it. Others are more like a virus and will open at unexpected times and are hard to remove. Adware may also work with spyware and send you targeted ads based on the information the spyware is collecting.

Viruses: Viruses or worms are software that generally has not purpose except to cause damage. Some viruses attack files while others will replicate to use up memory and other resources. Some viruses can even send emails without you knowing so they can infect other computers. Viruses are very hard to identify but most are controlled with anti virus software. It is usually the newest viruses that are most damaging because there is no cure. To help protect yourself you should never open email attachments without knowing what they are.