In today's world there are a lot of individuals that are ready to gain advantage of any weakness. If you surf the internet you have to take precautions so that your computer and the data does not get compromised.
If you buy items online, surf the internet or use email then here are several tips to keeping your computer and your personal information secure.
Anti-Virus
Many people find it very easy to safeguard themselves by installing antivirus protection. Most antivirus protection software protects your computer from known viruses and Trojan horses. If a new virus is detected, your virus software will automatically download the new definition so that your computer will be safe.
Trojan
Trojan horses are tiny programs that are downloaded inadvertently from the web. These small programs look for personal information and secretly upload it to a database. Many computer users have lost personal and financial information with the use of Trojan Horses.
Security
Back Door Trojan
One of the most damaging of all malicious software is the back door Trojan virus. Unlike many other types of malicious code, the back door Trojan virus is designed specifically to take advantage of vulnerabilities in the operating system such as Windows. The virus uses a back door into the computer too steal personal information, wipe files, or do other types of damage. To make matters worse, some of these back door Trojan horses disguise themselves and hide from anti virus software. Some are even intelligent enough to disable and render unusable your anti virus and firewall software.
Spyware
You should also protect your computer from Spyware. Spyware is a tiny program that is downloaded usually when you download another program for free off the web. Spyware can be very irritating. Spyware keeps records of what your search for online and then sends you advertisements. Spyware can be difficult to erase.
Spoof Emails
It is also vital to protect yourself from Spoof emails. Spoof emails look like real emails from Ebay, Paypal, Banks and big credit card companies, but they are fake. Most spoof emails ask you to provide a website with financial information and then they steal this information. If you receive any emails that ask you for financial details, shut your browser, open up a new browser and contact your company's web site personally to see if there is a message for you.
Phishing
A new form of thievery which started from 1996 but became popular from 2003, Phishing is a form of criminal activity using social engineering techniques. It is characterized by attempts to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy person or business in an apparently official electronic communication. Phishing is typically carried out using email or an instant message, though it has more recently exploited fax.
The term Phishing derives from password harvesting and the use of increasingly sophisticated lures to "fish" for users' financial information and passwords. To learn more about Phishing, click here.
Remedies :- Since kids don't deal with Banks and such online money trading services, it isn't a big threat to them, but you have to be on high alert. With the growing number of reported phishing incidents, additional methods of protection are needed. Attempts include legislation, user training, and technical measures.
Microsoft's new IE7 browser, as well as Mozilla's beta Bon Echo Alpha 3, includes a form of anti-phishing technology, in which the user can choose to check whether the site they are visiting is on a list of known phishing sites. This process can be manual or automatic, and if the site is suspect the user is warned although not prevented from visiting it. To learn about Anti-Phishing software, click here.
Precautions
Steps you can take to avoid problems with viruses and Trojans include being vigilant and paying attention to how your computer appears to be running. If you notice a decrease in performance that cannot be easily explained, or if you see an icon you do not recognize on the taskbar, it is a good idea to scan your computer and look for problems. Paying attention to your own computer, and using your own common sense, is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your computer.
