describe threats oposed by hackers, spyware, viruses, frauds and scams?

Firstly, not to nitpick, but I’m pretty sure you meant “posed” not “oposed.”

With that out of the way, there’s one more thing I want to mention:

“Hacker” is a broad term. In fact, it actually started out as a term that wasn’t at all threatening. A hacker was someone who liked to experiment with computers and understand how they worked in a more intimate way then most people do. The hacker manifesto summarizes this wonderfully with the line,”My crime is that of curiosity.” Even today, there are “white hat” hackers who don’t have any malicious intent whatsoever.

However, there also a lot of utter scumbags — “black hat” hackers — who want to cause serious damage. These are likely who you are thinking of. Just bear in mind — not all hackers are like this.

Now then, pretty much every online threat has one of three goals: to give a hacker access to something they shouldn’t have access to, like Sarah Palin’s email account; to give a hacker information they shouldn’t have, like classified documents, or to use a computer for something other then what its owner wants or expects, like spewing pop-ups or sending out spam.

Spyware deserves special mention. It is software that hides itself on your computer and watches what you type/click on/see, then reports that information to a third party, who can use it to find out things about you like your password(s) or where you *really* were last night. Sometimes, spyware is even used by marketers to help with customer profiling.

Frauds and scams are a related and yet completely different story. They use the same general pattern of exploiting something (maybe your trust?) to get something they shouldn’t have (maybe your money?), but they often take a much more low-tech approach.

To protect yourself from these threats, you have to be alert. One thing Bruce Schneier has taught us is that security is not something you can buy, it’s something you must get. For starters, get some good antivirus software and a good firewall. Second, if something gives you a warning, don’t just ignore it. First, if the warning seems suspicious, check it out. Make sure it isn’t a trick. Then, if it’s valid, actually think about it: “Does this pose a threat to my computer?” “Is this a sign that someone has found my password on this site?” etc… Only by keeping your wits about you can you protect yourself. And for the love of God, don’t run programs if you don’t trust the source.

Hope that helps.

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