Malware, Hackers and Phishing, Oh My!
H1N1 is a walk in the park compared to identity theft. If you are like me, a significant portion of your life is on your computer. Hopefully by now, we all have basic security features in place (and we have our operating systems constantly reminding us about updates). The fact remains that there are more viruses today than ever – literally. That coupled with the fact that identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes, makes it quite clear that we all have our personal information at risk. So with the odds stacked up against you, how can we move into 2010 with confidence? The answer is an ounce of prevention, and a pound of common sense.
While many companies claim to have the best protection out there, the truth is that your system is always somewhat vulnerable. You can have the best antivirus software on the planet installed, but if you download that one attachment from an unknown sender that is questionable, you could end up digging yourself out of a hot mess. Even if you delete any suspicious emails, and you don’t give out your bank account number to “collect unclaimed funds” from some overseas country, the threats that we face today actually mimic websites, URLs, and email “from” addresses. Being fooled by these modernized scams is easy, so your best defense is to be smart about info that you give out. Don’t be afraid to call the person asking for your info, and don’t provide them with any information until they can verify their own legitimacy.
If you have a PC, then you need an antivirus program and a firewall. Some software packages offer these together as an integrated suite.Personally, I am not a huge fan of some of the larger programs (both in software popularity and usage of system resources). I’ll give you a hint – it rhymes with “Snore-ton”. If you have it and are happy, then great – you are protected. However, I would think twice before renewing my subscription, as there are free options available; AVG Free is a great free antivirus program. Do a Google search for “AVG Free” and then click the link “AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition” and be sure to download the free edition. They offer a paid upgraded version, but the free one works great (I have been using it for years). This program, run in conjunction with “Zone Alarm Free” (a firewall program) work wonders on your personal security. This firewall, like many, allows for you to set the internet connection permissions based on program (and set it to remember your preferences). While there are a bit of confirmation windows at first, your software will soon learn which programs to allow internet access. Should another program try to access your internet connection, there will be a “red flag” popup asking you for internet usage permission.
Don’t be afraid to “Google” (yes, Google is a verb too).
If your firewall is telling you “whatever.exe wants to access the internet, do you want to allow it?” – don’t be afraid to run a Google search on “whatever.exe” to learn if this is a malicious program. The good thing is that these days, people love to blog about good and bad software, so doing your homework is really some light reading.
Internet Explorer Has Competition for a Reason.
A while back, Microsoft created a web browser called Internet Explorer (IE). This web browser was integrated tightly with the Windows operating system – so much so that in 1998, antitrust laws forced the software giant to ensure that IE could be uninstalled as not to have a monopoly with their web browser (http://www.justice.gov/atr/public/press_releases/1998/1764.htm). Although Microsoft complied and made it so IE could be uninstalled, IE has a bit more integration with the operating system than any 3rd party browser (it also shares the same interface as Windows Explorer – the interface you see when you go to “My Computer” on your desktop). This integration, while it can be convenient, is also very dangerous. Enter the 3rd party browsers: Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome are great, lightweight, expandable, secure browsers. In fact, I only use Internet Explorer for “Windows Updates” and the occasional website that requires IE. Other than that, Firefox is my go-to web browser. These web browsers are free, and way safer than IE, so be sure to check them out.
Warning – stay away from other free programs unless they came recommended from someone you know and trust (and who hopefully has a decent amount of computer knowledge). There is a lot of crap out there (like the free game installations that install something called Wild Tangent – avoid at all costs). That being said, as a New Year bonus, I have also included some cool links to other useful tools. Enjoy and have a great 2010!
