Identity Theft Adware & Spyware Articles
| |
| |
|
|
Phishing & Internet Security Information Identity Theft Adware & Spyware Articles |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Tired of adware & spyware - Anti Spyware - Norton Anti Virus - Micro anti virus solutions - Spyware remover software - Anti virus solution | |
|
You are free to use content from this page in your blog or website, in return for a link back to this page from that blog or website.
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 nave, and the less informed. Phishing is one of the main scams in the present moment. People set up phoney websites and email addresses. Then they spam Email inboxes with official-looking messages explaining that your account with Company X has encountered a problem and that they need you to login and confirm some details. The email addresses are masked to appear official and the links provided in the email all seem to check out. If you click on the link provided then you will usually be taken to a site that looks for all intents and purposes to be official. When you click 'submit' your details will be sent to a criminal somewhere who will do as they please with your information, such as withdrawing money from a bank account or purchasing things in your name. The scam has been labelled 'Phishing' because the criminals engaging in the activity behave similarly to a fisherman throwing bait out in the hope that they'll receive just one bite from the millions of people that receive the email. So how do you avoid these online scams? First and foremost, it is important to realise that no legitimate organisation should be sending you a request to fill out your personal details because of some server error or for any other reason. Your bank will never send you an email with content along the lines of "We've lost your bank account number and password... please supply them again for our records". You should also know that no bank is going to require your social security number, bank account number, and PIN number just to log in to your account or retrieve your password. Other sites such as Ebay, PayPal, and the like will not email you asking for these details either. If you're a little unsure as to whether or not an email is official, scroll down a bit until you find the link that they are requesting you to click and simply hold your mouse pointer over the link text without clicking. Now take a look at the bottom left-hand corner of your browser window. The link text is often the address that the phisher wants you to think you will be heading to but the real address will be revealed in the bottom of the browser. This address will most likely not have anything whatsoever to do with the company that the email is attempting to imitate. It could be a dodgy web site or even just a page on someone's personal computer. If the address doesn't appear in the bottom left-hand corner then you can right-click on the link, select 'properties' from the pop-up menu and then read the address listed in the information box. To avoid further scams make sure that you have updated firewall and anti-virus software active on your system at all times. This will make it harder for anyone to install key loggers, Trojans, spyware, or other similar devices intended to retrieve your information. Keep your operating system up to date with the latest security patches and updates and be careful where you enter your details. Always look into the reputability of the site that is requesting your details and keep an eye on the lower right-hand corner of your browser. If the page you are viewing has a little padlock symbol appear in the corner, then it means that your details are being secured by some encryption method. You can double click on the icon to get more details if you wish. Sites without the padlock icon don't have encryption, which means that your details are a lot easier for malicious crooks to get a hold of. Even if you're sure the website is legitimate, it's not a good idea to send your details over an unsecured connection. By the way, email does not count as a secure connection, and neither does any instant messaging program, (such as MSN, ICQ, Yahoo Messenger, AIM etc.) so don't give out personal details that way either. Another common scam very similar to phishing involves the emailing of promises of great wealth. Seriously, what do you think your chances are of winning the lottery, let alone one that you never even entered? Or of some obscure yet ridiculously rich person in Africa dying and you being legally allowed to pick up their money? Or of a foreign prince wishing to smuggle money out of his country using your account? These emails are all scams. I wish it were true that I won three different lotteries every single day, but if you get in contact with the people sending these messages they're going to do their utmost to clean out your pockets. Unfortunate as it may sound, the 'Please Donate to Charity' emails sent are usually also scams. If you really want to donate money to a charity, look them up and send it the usual way, don't respond to a multi-recipient email that may or may not be real. You also shouldn't donate to some random charity that no one has ever heard of before. Some of the Internet lowlifes have started up fake charities, 'dedicated to helping Tsunami victims' or similar and are simply pocketing the donations. Everything in this world can be used for either good or evil purposes and the Internet is no exception. Staying alert and having just a little bit of Internet know-how can keep you out of harm's way for the majority of the time, and allow you access to the wonderful online services available with relative safety. Daniel Punch
Cat 58058 |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Web Browsing - Collected Information You may not realize it, but as you are surfing the web all sorts of details are being left behind about your computer and where you have been. Most of this information is used harmlessly in website statistics, but it could also be used to profile you, or identify you as a vulnerable target for an exploit. Online Shopping: 10 Tips For Safe Online Shopping Have you ever bought a product or service from the internet? Everything You Need To Know About Spyware and Malware You are at your computer, checking out software on EBay. The computer is really sluggish, and you are not running anything else. You click on a link, and BLAM you are redirected to a search page you've never heard of and the "back" button won't work. 8 Surefire Ways to Spot an E-Mail Identity Theft Scam! The E-Mail Identity Theft Scam is running Rampant. These E-Mail Scam artists will go to great lengths to Get Your Bank Account information and Steal your Identity. Learn how to Protect To Yourself Now! With the Rise of Internet Crimes, Users are Turning to High-Tech 'PI's? for Solutions High-tech private investigators are becoming the answer for many Internet users who have been victimized online. The use of e-mail by that unethical element lurking in cyberspace rings all too common these days. With law enforcement agencies overwhelmed and under trained to address these issues, victims have often been left to deal with them on their own. Behavior to Stay Safer Online 1. Importance of a Virus Scanner: A Antivirus program can help to prevent you from becoming infected with a Virus or Trojan. It is extremely important to make sure this program is updated at least once a week, and all drives are scanned. Viruses usually are used to destroy your Data or Hardware. Where as Trojans are used to gain remote access into your system. Always scan any new files you receive as well, even if they are off a friend, you don't know where those files originated from. ALWAYS use a little common sense when on the Internet as well. Don't accept files from an entrusted source. Don't go to web sites you have received spam for, they can be infected with viruses or asking you to download files that are infected. Always go only to official sites (i.e... If you ask for a web address for Norton and someone says ww.nortfix.com, that is obviously not an official site). Keep in mind that an Antivirus will only detect known viruses. It is possible that someone can create a new virus or manipulate an existing Virus or Trojan to the point it will no longer be detected by an Antivirus. As each unknown virus is discovered it is then added into the Antivirus database. Always create rescue disks for your Antivirus program, these will enable you to access your computer through MS-DOS if you are unable to access it through windows. If you do not have an Antivirus program try the HouseCall free online virus scan the link if on the top right side of this page. Also never run 2 different Antivirus . By using two different Antivirus software, sometimes the rule sets can cause conflicts in each other.. or think the other is a virus.. which can also give false positives (meaning it detects a file as a Virus or Trojan, when it isn't one).. or not detect viruses as it should. Always delete files you do not remember downloading. Social Engineering: You Have Been A Victim Monday morning, 6am; the electric rooster is telling you it's time to start a new work week. A shower, some coffee, and you're in the car and off. On the way to work you're thinking of all you need to accomplished this week. Then, on top of that there's the recent merger between your company and a competitor. One of your associates told you, you better be on your toes because rumors of layoffs are floating around. 5 Simple Steps to Protect your Digital Downloads A couple of days ago, I was searching for a popular eBook online. Arming Yourself Against Spyware While clicking from site to site on the internet you are likely to land yourself on a website that downloads spyware onto your computer system. Even while using familiar or unlikely and secure web site you run the risk of being infected with unwanted spyware. Most commonly, spyware detects and records your internet and computer usage information so advertisers can bombard you with pop ups and email ads they feel are appropriate to your interests. More malicious spyware applications can identify, record and send to intruders your credit card, bank account and social security information to intruders who use it for identity theft. Internet/Network Security Abstract Homogeneous symmetries and congestion control have garnered limited interest from both cryptographers and computational biologists in the last several years [1]. In fact, few steganographers would disagree with the investigation of spreadsheets. Our focus in this work is not on whether write-back caches and evolutionary programming [13] can cooperate to achieve this intent, but rather on exploring an analysis of Markov models (Eale). A Personal Experience with Identity Theft Some months ago, before there was much publicity regarding phishing and identity theft, I became a victim. Protecting Your Children On The Internet If you are a parent, as am I, I think we can agree there is little else more important than keeping our children safe and protected. It's difficult enough keeping them safe from the unscrupulous people we read about in the news, but dealing with children and the Internet takes it to a completely new level. Identity Theft - Dont Blame The Internet Identity theft ' also known as ID theft, identity fraud and ID fraud ' describes a type of fraud where a criminal adopts someone else's identity in order to profit illegally. It is one of the fastest growing forms of fraud in many developed countries. Is Your Email Private? Part 1 of 3 In a word, no - an email message has always been nothing more than a simple text message sent unencrypted to a recipient we choose. So all the email that we so blithely send all over the Internet everyday is neither private nor secure. Every birthday greeting or Dear John email, every complaint, rant or verbal purge we may have sent to our employers, credit companies, congressman or customer service rep is subject to delivery errors or outright interception. 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. Criminals are Fishing For Your Identity What is Phishing? In a typical Phishing attack, a criminal will send you an email which appears to be from a well known company, bank or government agency. The email will direct you to click on a link which directs you to a Website or pop-up box that looks like the company's or organization's legitimate site. The site will instruct you to enter personal information, such as your account ID, your password, your credit or debit card number and PIN, or your social security number. The criminals are "phishing" for information. Whats All This I Hear About Firewalls' At this point, if you've got the whole "turning the computer on" thing down; you are ready to learn about firewalls. Whether you use your computer for business or pleasure, it is important to have a firewall. If you use a high speed Internet connection like Cable modem or DSL, you are at a MUCH greater risk for someone to hack into your computer, ultimately giving them free rein to meddle in your files and your life. How Free Scripts Can Create Security Problems With the Internet entering our lives in such an explosive manner, it was inevitable that Internet security issues would follow as well. While credit card frauds are an offline security problem that has been carried over to the Internet as well, spamming and phishing are uniquely Internet security hazards. Be Aware of Phishing Scams! If you use emails actively in your communication, you must have received various messages claiming to be from Ebay, Paypal and a number of banks. A recent email as if from U.S. Bank Corporation that I received contains the subject "U.S. Bank Fraud Verification Process" and in the body of the mail it says "We recently reviewed your account, and suspect that your U.S. Bank Internet Banking account may have been accessed by an unauthorized third party. Protecting the security of your account and of the U.S. Bank network is our primary concern. Therefore, as a preventative measure, we have temporarily limited access to sensitive account features. To restore your account access, please take the following steps to ensure that your account has not been compromised:". It continues with a link to a webpage, which looks very similar to original web page of the bank. Blogs as Safe Haven for Cybercriminals' To blog or not to blog? Well, why not? Lots of people like either to write or to read blogs -- sometimes both. The much-quoted survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, says 27 percent read blogs. 38 percent of all Internet users at least know what a blog is. The survey was made in November 2004 and estimated that 32 million Americans to be blog readers by the end of 2004. So now there must be much more blog readers and writers.
|
 |
| Copyright © 2008 www.dovada.net.au |
