Post by <<GlockBusters>> on Feb 16, 2010 15:34:12 GMT -5
I knew what he was talking about when he wrote that now famous expression—as it applies particularly well to keeping your private information secure. Criminals are now trying to hack into your computer more than ever.
These Internet thugs are motivated, ruthless…and silent. They use stealth to invade your system. It can happen so quickly, you won't even realize it—at least not until after your credit score plunges. But there are steps you can take to stop them before they act. Someone's identity is stolen every 3 seconds. And just like a hungry lion on the savannah, criminals tend to go after who they perceive are the weakest prey. If you present a solid line of defense upfront, they’ll move on…knowing that there are plenty of others who are easy pickings.
So what can you do to help avoid their cybercrime jaws?Have a solid firewall: It’s your first line of defense and your operating system probably has one already included. Make sure it's switched on in your security settings. A different, more fortified firewall is even better. After all, why offer the crooks the same lock they see on every house on the block? A little binary code elbow grease here can go a long way toward preventing security headaches in the future.
Watch where you get your software: Only download executable files (applications that run) from a trusted source. That site your nephew found that supposedly offers free software and songs…? It probably harbors more malware than MP3s. Avoid it. You wouldn’t blithely answer a classified ad promising free cash (but only if you show up alone, unarmed, in an unknown section of the city). The same common sense applies here. Go with those you know.To make sure you don't unwittingly step into an online snake pit, consider further building your defenses with an application that alerts you to known malware sites. This way, you'll get a friendly heads up before you click on a link. Just make sure your software updates its viral database often. Sites that were safe yesterday may not be today.
Beware of Bots: As you can probably guess, "bot" is short for "robot." But we're not talking about any lovable character from a sci-fi film here. These insidious scripts of code can infiltrate your computer and allow a cybercriminal unfettered access to your private information-just as if he were sitting right behind your keyboard. Once in, keyloggers can be left to record everything you type, including all of your passwords and private information.Worse, bots could open up your computer as a gateway to all sorts of illegal activities—from bombing others with spam to outright attacks against computer systems. These threats would then appear as if they were originating from you since it would be your "zombie" machine doing all the dirty work.
The ounce of prevention in this case would be having robust bot protection at the ready. It's essential, especially if you use any ubiquitous Internet Relay Chat (IRC) applications for chatting or texting. Finding the right software that can plug these security holes (and is user-friendly) may not be easy. Many free antivirus applications don't provide security against this malicious threat, so you may have to spend a little money here.
Again, let's harken back to Franklin's words: Spending a little here is much better than a lot later. Free is great—but having protection that works is even better.Spend a little, Save a lot: As technology evolves, criminals change their tactics, too. From their perspective, it's often easier (and more economically rewarding) to steal information over the Internet rather than to pick someone’s pocket. After all, the latter may yield a few bucks from a careless tourist, but the former could potentially hit thousands-if not millions-in one night.
Norton Internet Security covers all of these problems-from repelling bots to other malware attacks. You can just install the suite and forget about it, since it automatically updates itself and scans incoming data to make sure you stay safe.
Was Ben Franklin our IT progenitor? He certainly understood the benefits of proactive prevention, and Norton Internet Security makes maintaining that security easy.
These Internet thugs are motivated, ruthless…and silent. They use stealth to invade your system. It can happen so quickly, you won't even realize it—at least not until after your credit score plunges. But there are steps you can take to stop them before they act. Someone's identity is stolen every 3 seconds. And just like a hungry lion on the savannah, criminals tend to go after who they perceive are the weakest prey. If you present a solid line of defense upfront, they’ll move on…knowing that there are plenty of others who are easy pickings.
So what can you do to help avoid their cybercrime jaws?Have a solid firewall: It’s your first line of defense and your operating system probably has one already included. Make sure it's switched on in your security settings. A different, more fortified firewall is even better. After all, why offer the crooks the same lock they see on every house on the block? A little binary code elbow grease here can go a long way toward preventing security headaches in the future.
Watch where you get your software: Only download executable files (applications that run) from a trusted source. That site your nephew found that supposedly offers free software and songs…? It probably harbors more malware than MP3s. Avoid it. You wouldn’t blithely answer a classified ad promising free cash (but only if you show up alone, unarmed, in an unknown section of the city). The same common sense applies here. Go with those you know.To make sure you don't unwittingly step into an online snake pit, consider further building your defenses with an application that alerts you to known malware sites. This way, you'll get a friendly heads up before you click on a link. Just make sure your software updates its viral database often. Sites that were safe yesterday may not be today.
Beware of Bots: As you can probably guess, "bot" is short for "robot." But we're not talking about any lovable character from a sci-fi film here. These insidious scripts of code can infiltrate your computer and allow a cybercriminal unfettered access to your private information-just as if he were sitting right behind your keyboard. Once in, keyloggers can be left to record everything you type, including all of your passwords and private information.Worse, bots could open up your computer as a gateway to all sorts of illegal activities—from bombing others with spam to outright attacks against computer systems. These threats would then appear as if they were originating from you since it would be your "zombie" machine doing all the dirty work.
The ounce of prevention in this case would be having robust bot protection at the ready. It's essential, especially if you use any ubiquitous Internet Relay Chat (IRC) applications for chatting or texting. Finding the right software that can plug these security holes (and is user-friendly) may not be easy. Many free antivirus applications don't provide security against this malicious threat, so you may have to spend a little money here.
Again, let's harken back to Franklin's words: Spending a little here is much better than a lot later. Free is great—but having protection that works is even better.Spend a little, Save a lot: As technology evolves, criminals change their tactics, too. From their perspective, it's often easier (and more economically rewarding) to steal information over the Internet rather than to pick someone’s pocket. After all, the latter may yield a few bucks from a careless tourist, but the former could potentially hit thousands-if not millions-in one night.
Norton Internet Security covers all of these problems-from repelling bots to other malware attacks. You can just install the suite and forget about it, since it automatically updates itself and scans incoming data to make sure you stay safe.
Was Ben Franklin our IT progenitor? He certainly understood the benefits of proactive prevention, and Norton Internet Security makes maintaining that security easy.
www.symantec.com/en/uk/norton/clubsymantec/library/article.jsp?aid=cs_benefits_of_proactive_prevention&Om_em_cid=hho_email_clubsym_feb10_emea_gb