As of 2010, there are nearly three million unique forms of known malicious code, and thousands of new ones are discovered daily. The risk of being infected is greater than ever. The damage caused by an infection can range from a minor annoyance to a catastrophic disaster. The old wisdom continues to ring true: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Most computer users are aware of the importance of security to reduce the threats that could potentially harm a computer or network. For example, anti-virus and anti-spyware are essential defenses in the war against malicious code. However, technology cannot compensate for poor and risky behavior. Thus, proper training and understanding, along with behavior changes, are needed to facilitate a reduction of malicious code infections.

The methods, vectors, or paths that malicious code can use to gain access to your system are increasing as new services or types of communications are developed. In fact, every single possible communication method that exists for legitimate data can be used to transmit malicious data as well. Thus, we all need to be vigilant in keeping our protections current as well as avoiding risky activities.

The following are 10 common ways malicious code reach your private network that you need to be aware of.