Unemployment and financial desperation have struck our country and for many, crime might be the only way to put food on the table.  The local news, relatives and friends will tell you to protect yourself by keeping your doors locked, watching your wallet/purse and paying attention to your surroundings.  This is all sound advice, but it is also the thinking of 15 years ago, before the internet.  Today, criminals have gotten smarter and now it is time for you to do the same.

We are always looking for ways to help you get the most out of your PC.  Part of that is helping you understand the threats and tricks that might try to attack your computer and, in turn, you.  We’ve told you to protect yourself with firewalls, antivirus programs, anti-spyware programs, etc.  While these “suggestions” are still extremely important, they are not enough.  You must increase the scope of your protection and begin looking at the areas that today’s criminal might attack next.  A fantastic article from Kim’s Columns on komando.com brings to the table some new suggestions you might have never thought of.  Her article Six new ways crooks can get you is aimed at businesses, but can be easily applied to individuals as well.  Here are the “six new ways” for the average PC user:

1. Flash Drives – You’ve protected yourself from malicious software that might attack via the internet, but what about the front door.  Flash drives are popular and they get passed around and plugged in without a second thought.
2. Facebook Friends – If you don’t know them, don’t accept their friend request.  Your Facebook page reveals a lot of personal information that could be used against you.  Birth date, place of birth, mother’s maiden name, favorite movie, color, etc.  These things just happen to be the answers to a lot of security questions for banks and other login sites.
3. Clickjacking – You think you are clicking on a simple ad or a great new web site, but it is simply a trick to get you to login with your Facebook or Twitter information.  Watch out for suspicious sites and use Web of Trust in your browser.
4. Smartphone Apps – Those great little programs that you download on your iPhone or Android device could be a front for something else.  Unfortunately, everything looks a little different on a smart phone screen versus a computer screen, so it is really easy for these apps to seem and look official.  Don’t bank on your phone without going through your bank web site first.
5. E-mail messages – Email attacks have been around, but they are getting better.  Follow the same rules you always have and don’t open anything from anyone without running it through your antivirus program first.
6. Porn dialers – I guess the same rules apply on smart phones now.  Watch what sites you visit and what software/apps you download.

These suggestions/rules are not meant to scare you or deter you from using the internet.  They are simply the tools that you must arm yourself with when venturing out.  Start applying these methods today and share the warning with friends and family.  They will appreciate it.

Tags: Clickjacking, Criminals, e-Mail, Facebook, firewalls, Flash Drives, scams

This entry was posted on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 9:43 am and is filed under Security, Tips and Tricks, Viruses. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.