Cyber espionage involves using technology to obtain information without consent. It can be used to monitor online activity or obtain proprietary information for financial gain. Malicious software, such as viruses, is often used to collect data or disable networks. Security measures, such as antivirus protection and firewalls, are necessary to protect against cyber espionage. Financial gain is a common motivation for cyber spies, but some do it for revenge or to test their skills.
A cyber spy is an individual who makes use of modern computer technology to protect various types of information, without the consent of the owner of that information. In some cases, cyber espionage occurs as a means of monitoring an individual’s online movements while they engage in various online activities, including browsing and sending emails. Other times, the cyber spy is engaged in obtaining proprietary information from governments or companies in order to sell the data to the highest bidder. Cyber espionage can be conducted locally or managed from a remote location using the right combination of equipment and software applications.
One of the most common examples of cyber espionage is an entity that creates and releases different types of tracking software. The software can be associated with a website or distributed through the use of e-mail. With this application, the idea is usually to track the user’s movements online, thus providing the spy with data about the user’s likes and dislikes. All collected data can then be used to automatically select the email advertisements that the system deems appropriate for the user and forward them to the email address that the software associates with the user.
Other cyber espionage activities are not so harmless. Malicious software, especially computer viruses, can also be transmitted via websites and by email. With email, the virus is often distributed as part of an attachment to the email itself. When the user downloads the attachment, the virus infects the hard drive and starts collecting data. Viruses are also used to disable entire networks, often rendering workstations inoperable. Similarly, viruses and spyware that are downloaded automatically during a visit to a website will take advantage of any kind of computer insecurity as a recipient’s end and will find a way to discreetly insert the virus into files that are highly unlikely the user can access.
The rise of cyber espionage in recent years has made it necessary to use security software on all networks, including home networks and even standalone devices used to connect to the Internet. Businesses often use a variety of resources as a means of securing their networks, including antivirus protection cached on the hard drives of all computers, firewalls to filter incoming and outgoing transmissions, and even security software on servers and other equipment including in the network architecture. Today it is not uncommon for email service providers to also use antivirus software to scan incoming messages, thus protecting both the providers’ network and the individual user.
Typically, some sort of financial gain is the motivation for the cyber spy to create and distribute various forms of spyware and malware. Once collected, the data can be resold to competitors or anyone else with an interest in seeing a company or government undermined. The spy can also use malware to disable or corrupt a network, an action that can give a competitor a decided advantage for a short period of time. However, not all spies are interested in money. For some, the motivation to function as a cyber spy has to do with seeking retribution for a real or imagined injustice, or simply pitting the spy’s skills against any system protections the target might have. in place.
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