|
|
| www.1001TopWords.com |
|
|
Dialing Up a Scam: Avoiding the Auto-Dialer Virus
For many, the daily walk to the mailbox evokes mixed feelings: The glee that your favorite monthly magazine ? or a friend's hand-written letter (quite a surprise in the e-mail age) may be waiting is countered by anxiety of how many bills the postman left you. Now, imagine coming across your phone bill, thicker and heavier than normal. When you open it, instead of "statementstuffers" from the phone company's marketing department, the bill is dozens of pages long ending in a one-month total of almost $5,400. A quick glance at the details reveals hundreds of calls to the same 1-900 number. "A mistake," you insist. After all, you'rethe only person in the house and you have never called a 900 number before. Actually, this is no mistake. In this true story, the homeowner had fallen victim to one of the oldest computer scams around: the "Auto-Dialer" virus. How Did This Computer Security Nightmare Begin How Did An Auto-Dialer Get Installed Behind the scene, the auto-dialer installed itself, checked for the presence of a modem and dial tone, and then proceeded to dial an overseas 900 number over and over again. Even though the person surfed using an always-on broadband Internet connection, the modem remained so he could send and receive faxes. One problem: When he wasn't using the modem, it remained plugged into the phone jack. Why should he have unplugged it? It's not like it could hurt anything, right? Wrong. How To Protect Yourself 1) If you no longer need a modem in your computer, remove it. Or at least disconnect the phone line from the modem; 2) Install anti-virus software such as Trend Micro or Symantec's Norton Anti-Virus. Many are designed to prevent this kind of malicious software, or "Malware." More importantly, make sure your subscription for new virus patterns is current and configured to automatically download and install updates; 3) Install and regularly run Adware protection solutions such as LavaSoft's Ad-Aware or SpyBot Search & Destroy; 4) And do not, under any circumstances, blindly hit "OK" to pop-ups or similar annoyances without first making sure what you are agreeing to. This tale is not fiction; in fact, it happens frequently, to businesses and consumers, kids and adults. But even the least savvy among us can thwart such an attack. A neighborhood teenager recently avoided potentially thousands in fees when an auto-dialer was downloaded and installed. How? She had unplugged the modem.
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Identity Theft ? Beware of Phishing Attacks! "Dear Bank of the West customer", the message begins. I've just received an e-mail message, purportedly from the security department at the Bank of the West. The message explains that certain features of my account have been suspended due to "suspicious activity" on my account. The message then provides a link that I can follow in order to fill out an online form confirming my identity. It's certainly nice that Bank of the West is worried about the status of my account. There's just one problem ? I don't have an account at Bank of the West. In fact, I've never even heard of Bank of the West. Avoid Internet Theft, Fraud and Phishing Since its birth, the Internet has grown and expanded to unprecedented, unmanageable proportions. Information, software, news, and much more flow freely through its twisted pathways. Online services such as Internet banking save time and money. However, from the depths of its vast expanse have come the dregs of society intent on preying on the new, the naïve, and the less informed. Anti-Spyware Protection: Behind How-To Tips There is no doubt that "how-to articles" have become a separate genre. One can find such an article about almost anything; there are even some entitled "How to Write a How-To Article". And, of course, the Web is swarming with the ones like "10 Steps to Protect Your PC from Spyware"(if not 10, any number will do; odd ones like 5,7,9 are most popular) or "How to Forget About Spyware For Good". Please don't accuse me of being sarcastic -- I am not; all these articles by all means are informative and so very useful. They all include really handy tips to protect you from this recently emerged plague called spyware. But? Phishing Recently I have received email from my bank/credit Card Company, eBay & pay pal saying that my account has possibly been compromised and I need to confirm my details and password in order to get continued access. HackAttack P C. owners are constantly at risk from attacks by hackers.Spy ware, viruses, trogan horses, and all sorts of other malevolent programs are all trying to take control of your computer. Firewall Protection - Does Your Firewall Do This? The first thing people think about when defending their computers and networks is an up-to-date antivirus program. Without this most basic protection, your computer will get a virus, which could just slow it down or potentially bring the pc to a complete standstill!So anti-virus software is the answer?An anti-virus solution on it's own is not the answer to all of your problems, it can only protect you so much; in fact test have shown that a new pc running Windows XP if left connected to the Internet unprotected will be infected with viruses and remotely controlled via unauthorised persons within 20 minutes! To protect you against hackers and often to prevent spyware and 'scumware' from communicating directly with their servers about information it may have picked up from your pc, a firewall should form the key part of your e-security solution. Previously, the targets of hackers were large institutions, banks and government organisations; now hackers try to steal your personal information, including bank details and passwords directly from your PC on a daily basis. But perhaps you don't consider that your data is particularly valuable? You will be the one who suffers the consequences when it is destroyed, and these consequences are usually expressed in economic terms. If you lose your data, you will have to pay someone to try and recover it for you, and if your computer is illegally hijacked and used to attack others, then you will also have to handle any legal issues that may result from this.What will a firewall do to limit the danger to your systems?A decent firewall is sometimes referred to as a 'choke-point' or 'bridge'. Every piece of data that comes into your network has to go through the firewall in order that data of undesirable content and unauthorised users cannot gain access to your computer or network.A good firewall will also hide the fact from others, that you are actually connected to the Internet, stopping software that pings, sniffs and queries IP addresses in the hope of finding a system to attack.A firewall will cloak me, but which one do I need?There are two different types of firewall available for you to use; a software firewall that is loaded onto your computer and a hardware firewall. In truth, both types are software, but the hardware one is a dedicated firewall appliance, whose only job is to perform firewall functionality. A clear advantage of a hardware firewall, is that if you happen to install some sort of maleware or virus on your system, it cannot take over your firewall.Unified Threat Management firewall functionalityUnified Threat Management products are defined as those that act as firewalls, include intrusion detection and protection, and also deal with viruses. Does your current firewall perform content filtering, spam filtering, intrusion detection and anti-virus duties? All of these functions are usually on a number of different pieces of hardware, taking up valuable space in your server racks.The technology within business grade firewalls has become considerably more robust recently, and paved the way to add these additional, but vital functions to the one appliance. The administration time has been cut significantly, as there is only one appliance; product selection is quicker and easier, as is product integration and ongoing support. With only one appliance, troubleshooting also becomes a lot less of an issue. If the firewall were to fail, then only one piece of hardware needs to be swapped out; which means that your business can be back up and running faster.Winding upIn conclusion a good firewall should do the following things:Protect your personal dataProtect your computers resourcesProtect your reputation and that of your businessProtect your liabilityIdeally be capable of Unified Threat Management Network Security 101 As more people are logging onto the Internet everyday, Network Security becomes a larger issue. In the United States, identity theft and computer fraud are among the fastest rising crimes. It is important to protect your network and ensure the safety of all computers and users in that network. Spyware ? Your Web Browser is the Culprit! My first experience with a spyware BHO based infection was several months ago. I had gone through all of the usual steps with the client's machine to clean it. Ad-Aware was run, Spybot: Search and Destroy was as well. Nothing looked suspicious in the system's startup. All appeared well, but it wasn't. Password Security and Safety There is nothing more important that password security in world of technology. It is the first step to creating a safe and secure environment. If your password becomes compromised, there are limitless consequences to what could happen. There are a few very important factors in keeping your passwords safe and secure that everyone should adhere to. Another Fine Mess! I'm in the Anti-Spyware business, and I'm doing a lot of advertising to promote my website, but here I am online and on the phone, giving my personal information to.....who? Strangers basically, Geez! The majority of identity thefts occur thru contractors employing people in entry-level jobs that have not been properly screened. Not even Hackers,Phishers or Dumpster Divers account for as many! The ideal location for a Identity stealer would be in a out sourced agency that fails to use adequate screening processes. Fishing for Fortunes. Scam! Spelt phishing, but pronounced as above, this despicable act is an effort to batter your bankroll or commandeer your cash. 3 Simple Steps to Stay Safe from Spyware There are several basic concepts to keep in mind when deciding to stay spyware free for good. This article will outline a spyware checklist for you to keep in mind when getting tough on spyware and taking back control of your computer using two popular free applications, Ad-Aware,and Spybot - S&D. Using these two programs in conjunction will eliminate a vast majority of spyware problems from your computer. For the purposes of this article, "spyware" refers also to adware, malware, and other not-so-nice "features" of today's computing reality. 3 Pervasive Phishing Scams Scams involving email continue to plague consumers across America, indeed the world. These so called "phishing" scams involve "spoofed" emails meant to draw the unwary to bogus internet sites masquerading as legitimate sites. These scam artists -- phishers -- attempt to hook visitors in by having them divulge certain critical and personal bits of information. Once the information has been divulged the phishers start their dirty work and you have been conned. Several phishing scams continue to persist, the following are three of the most pervasive ones. IPv6 - Next Step In IP Security IPv6, Introduction How To Be Your Own Secret Service Agency So you want to know who your kids are chatting with. Or if your spouse has a blossoming e-mail romance. Or if one of your employees is leaking confidential information on the side. These tools will allow you to find out the truth and get the evidence you can present to court. Delete Cookies: New-Age Diet or Common Sense Internet Security? No, this article isn't about some new, lose-20-pounds-in-a-week, certified-by-some-tan-Southern-California-doctor diet. It's about cookies on your computer - what they are, why they are there, and what to do about them. Computer cookies actually have quite a bit in common with their baked counterparts - some are good, some are bad, and they have expiration dates. Phishing - Identity Theft & Credit Card Fraud What is Phishing?Phishing is a relatively newly coined term for a kind of method for harvesting information for identity theft. Phishing is quite simply providing a person with false information or credentials to trick them in to giving you their personal information. This is done by a form of social engineering, by posing as a different person or organization that you already trust. New CipherSend Online Security Service Thwarts Email Address Theft And Soothes Password Fatigue In 1997, I decided after 15 years as a practicing CPA that it was time to put down my pencil and explore a new venture on the exciting new internet which, while perhaps not exactly in its infancy at that point, was still at least a pimply faced teenaged medium still unexplored by most accountants. Can I Guess Your Password? We all know that it's dangerous to use the same password for more than one program. If you sign up for a program run by someone of low moral fibre, what is to stop them running through various programs with your username and password to see what they can access? Lets Talk About Antivirus Software! Nowadays more and more people are using a computer. A lot of them use it at their work place, but an increasing number of computer users have also discovered the need to have a computer at home. At the same time the number of Internet surfers increased. This is a good thing because people are realizing the advantages offered by the world of technology. As soon as they discover this, they start using computers and the Internet more and more, but at the same time not considering the threats that are coming in from all sides. They should know that if you don't protect yourself, nobody will. These threats are now coming from everywhere and they are growing in number and complexity. First threats of this kind were the viruses. At first, viruses were not that harmful. They were designed to perform a simple task, like flashing a single message onto the user's computer screen. Also the spread rate was slow, because not many people were connected to the Internet. But now the majority of viruses are programs intentionally written to obstruct with, or harm other programs or computer systems. And they are spreading very fast.
|
| © Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |
