Spyware and Trojan Horses

This seminar covers a contemporary issue in Computer Security; Spyware and Trojan Horses. These are separate security threats to networked systems, both of which are realized using differing software development techniques. We introduce the concepts of Spyware and Trojan Horses, followed by detailing how each is constructed and installed. We go into depth on their operation, which is revealed with the aid of demonstration software. Following our examples, we present a range of preventions, solutions and cures to each threat posed. We discuss the issues surrounding the user's interaction with such software and conclude by specifying an optimal solution for the avoidance of the threats posed. This seminar is aimed at everyday computer users, Software Engineers and Computer Security professionals. The differing levels of information conveyed will be of use to each of the aforementioned groups. We are confident that each group will receive sufficient information to minimize the risks posed to them by Spyware, Trojan Horses and other affiliated network-based software. Smart phones are increasingly being equipped with operating systems that compare in complexity with those on desktop computers. This trend makes smart phone operating systems vulnerable to many of the same threats as desktop operating systems. In this paper, we focus on the threat posed by smart phone rootkits. Rootkits are malware that stealthily modify operating system code and data to achieve malicious goals, and have long been a problem for desktops. However, the ubiquity of smart phones and the unique interfaces that they expose, such as voice, GPS of rootkits particularly devastating. We conclude the paper by identifying the challenges that need to be addressed to effectively detect rootkits on smart phones.