PC Tools Predicts New Breeds of Social Media Cyber Scams

PC Tools, the company which brings you PC Tools Firewall Plus (free), ThreatFire (free), and of course a complete line of award-winning commercial grade security offerings, is issuing this consumer alert advising the rollout of new social media sites and features, are leading to a fresh crop of online scams and threats.

PC Tools Top Three Social Network Threat Predictions

Email alerts for “tagged” photos where YOU might appear online.

Social networks are developing increased intelligence for facial recognition to assist with tagging photos. When you’re tagged in a photo or at a location in your photo album, you can often expect an email or notification letting you know where to view it online. Watch out!

Cybercriminals may be using this as a tactic to get you to click on malicious links asking for information – possibly even prompting you to click on a link leading to a fake login and password entry form posing as your social network.

Online robots or “bots” on social networking sites will be more sophisticated

We believe within the next few months that social media “bots” will become more advanced, effectively creating human-looking profiles and personalities. Cybercriminals rely on bots because they are the fastest and most cost-effective way to spread malware, spyware and scams through social network sites.

Through these bots, criminals can auto-create bogus personalities on social networks, which can in turn link to fake companies that sell phony products – all to trick users into buying merchandise that isn’t real or spreading news that doesn’t actually exist.

An increase in fake invites to join “new” or “exclusive” social networks or social groups

New social networks are popping up every day, some of which are “invite only” making them more appealing. Cybercriminals could use this appeal as a method to lure users into clicking on fake invites for exclusive networks. Upon clicking on these invites, users could be asked to provide personal details such as name, login, password or birthdates which should not be released.

“If you’re looking to join the hottest new social network, be careful where you click – your personal life may be at risk,” said Mike Chen, Product Marketing Manager at PC Tools. “Cybercriminals are taking advantage of the buzz surrounding these new social networks and features by tricking unsuspecting users to divulge personal information or download malware.”

Chen added that today’s malware looks legitimate, but what may seem like a harmless email or link can actually result in a person’s stolen identity or credit card data theft. And according to Pew Research, 46% of internet users agree that “most people can be trusted” – a prime reason why cybercriminals are so successful at duping consumers.

About PC Tools:

With offices located in Australia, Ireland, United States, United Kingdom and the Ukraine. PC Tools is a fast-growing brand with dedicated Research and Development teams that ensure PC Tools maintains a competitive edge. With registered customers in over 180 countries and millions of downloads to date, PC Tools’ products continue to win awards and gain recommendations from respected reviewers and independent testing labs around the world.

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The World Of Gaming Piracy

Is pirating gaming software any different than pirating productivity applications? Can the theft of intellectual property be justified under any set of circumstances?

Guest writer Leo Kontogamopoulos, who in his Bio describes himself as “another regular guy, just out of school”, has written a provocative piece in which he sets out his thoughts on a complex issue.

I’ve been a follower and participant in the gaming community for a very long time – everything from consoles to PC gaming (which I tend to do more of now). Since the very start, piracy has been somewhat of an issue in the community, largely because it was (and still is, to an extent), so easy.

Basically, the reason why I have chosen to write this now, instead of another time is, because of the recent drama about the ‘hacking’ of the PS3. Just quickly, what has happened so far is – a small team of hackers managed to break through the security of the PS3 by cracking it’s root key, which is the verification code for all software and games – that nothing can run without.

As a result, user-made software and modifications are now available for the PS3, with one of the apparently unintended side effects of this hack being that piracy on the console is now possible for online play.

If you are interested in this story and the latest consequences of it, then please check out this article.

However, the cracking of the PS3 is not my main point for this post, although it definitely does relate to it. Now, all the news and companies that you have ever heard from about piracy make it out to be one of the worst things that you can possibly do in the gaming world, but is it really that simple for everyone?

Of course, I’m not condoning piracy of games in any way, I do know that it is illegal, but this post is simply meant to examine the reasons behind piracy. (What every hacker says, right?) Now that makes me look like a hacker. Great.

When someone pirates a game, a lot of the time it’s because they either don’t have the money to buy it, or they simply don’t want to spend that money. In the second case, where a person has the means to buy a game, I don’t think that they can justify pirating it.

On the other hand, if the person was never intending to buy the game at all instead of pirating it, then the publishers really can’t complain that much about it, since there are no real negative effects on them. It’s not like they’re losing money if the person was never going to actually buy it anyway.

In fact, increased piracy of games under these conditions could even be better for publishers in the long run, as they aren’t losing any money, but are still benefiting from the increased popularity and word-of-mouth advertising that comes from more people playing their game. In particular, the recent Crysis 2 PC leak, which released a beta version to the piracy world, is a perfect example of how piracy can lead to increased popularity, and get everyone talking about a game.

In this case, it’s more of an issue of ethics, as no one can really know whether or not someone was going to buy a game or not, so it’s up to the individual to regulate themselves. Of course, that has proven to be pretty ineffective for most people.

Following on from that, the vast majority of, if not all publishers are simply overly greedy in terms of their sales. Again, I’m not advertising piracy here, but how much could it really hurt them if around an average of 40% of their games are pirated? I mean, with many games selling millions of copies even with this level of piracy, each at a price of around $80, that’s a lot of money being made already. Do they really need (or deserve) that much more?

One of the more common, acceptable (at least in my opinion), mentalities on piracy is the “try before you buy”, in which case it is perfectly fine to do so, as long as you actually do intend on buying the game in question once you have tried it.

This has absolutely no negative impact on the developers, unless they were planning on selling games through simply appearing to be good, and not by having good gameplay, a flaw which would be discovered through this method.

Piracy, while it is not something that I condone at all, is definitely not as bad as developers and publishers make it out to be, and it’s not like the gaming industry is going to collapse anytime soon because of it. In my opinion, while it does require a level of self-control that many just don’t seem to have, piracy can be OK in some cases, when used correctly.

Bio: I’m basically just another regular guy, just out of school, who’s looking for a way to spend his free time. For me, that led to combining my interest in writing with a passion for technology, and the result is articles like the one above, as well as a brand new technology based blog, called KleoTech. There’s not that much else to know about me really, just that I really enjoy what I’m doing right now.

Blog Info: KleoTech is a brand new technology blog, focusing on technology, from hardware to software and an array of gadgets in between. The content is a mix of product reviews, guides and opinion articles, which are written and released almost daily on the most recent issues and advances in the technological world.

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MalwareBytes Accuses IObit of Theft

IObit is offering their anti-malware application for free until November 11. On the face of it, I considered this good news.

That is, until a reader informed me that MalwareBytes, the developers of the highly regarded MalwareBytes Anti-malware application, announced yesterday that they have developed evidence that IObit “is stealing and incorporating” their “proprietary database and intellectual property into their software”.

You may want to read this claim from MalwareBytes here. In the meantime, I recommend that you consider the implications carefully before downloading this “free” offer.

If this accusation is true, and it appears to be, based on MalwareBytes investigation, I don’t think it’s appropriate to support such reprehensible behavior. As I said earlier, consider the implications of supporting this kind of behavior, and downloading this free offer, is tacit support.

MalwareBytes offers a free anti-malware solution that is recognized as one of the premier products in the field, and they deserve our support. If you would like to take a stand against theft of intellectual property, you may want to consider the following course of action as suggested by Malware Bytes.

“If you feel the same way we do about this theft, we encourage you to send an email to hosting services such as Download.com and Majorgeeks.com requesting that all IOBit software be removed”.

If you enjoyed this article, why not subscribe to this Blog via RSS, or email? It’s easy; just click on this link and you’ll never miss another Tech Thoughts article.

Taking A Byte Out of Malware

This is a guest post by Rick Robinette, who brings a background as a security/police officer professional, and as an information technology specialist to the Blogging world.

Why not pay a visit to Rick’s site at What’s On My PC.

Taking A Byte Out of Malware

When I mention the term “malware” around my friends and family, I get some really strange looks. Most people are not absorbed into the tech side of protecting their PC’s and really do not care what the name of the current disease is.

It is an attitude and approach similar to the government; “wait till it happens, then fix it”. Fixing a PC after a malware infection can be like the government trying to fix the economy. You try to fix it and the problem does not go away, resurfaces, and in turn progressively worsens.

When you own a computer, the user must develop the attitude of prevention and protection. If you do not heed this advice, trust me, you will be in a position where you will be trying to fix your own economy…

It is important to educate yourself about the threats, before the threats educate you. Malware today has developed into a threat with such magnitude that it is predominantly the preferred avenue of attack against everyday computer users.

What is malware?

In short it is “malicious software” that installs on your PC without your consent. It is designed to compromise your privacy, steal your money & identity, AND contaminate your PC. Basically, it just shows up in one form or another. (Obvious signs can be: as a popup, a browser redirect, suspicious security software, fake security warnings, your PC consistently runs slow, etc…).

How is it delivered?

Usually through misrepresentation or trickery… You click on a link in an email or a link on a web page that misrepresents what it really is and you’ve been had. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing, software pirating sites, porn sites are also favorite launching points for malware.

How to take the byte out of malware?

Layers of protection…What this is referring to is multi-layers of protection such as your firewall and various types of security software (e. g. anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-malware, browser protection, windows updates, software updates, etc…). It is important to maintain and keep these layers of protection in place.

One layer of protection that I currently use, and highly recommend to all of my friends and family, to combat the threat of malware, is a program called “Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware”. Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware is an anti-malware application that can thoroughly remove even the most advanced malware.

(Click pic for larger)

I use this program to manually scan my PC on a regular basis. There is a “FREE” and “PAID” version. The difference is that the real-time protection, scheduled scanning, and scheduled updating features are not activated in the “FREE” version.

Performing manual routine updates and scanning is sufficient in most cases. Just the fact that you have it installed and ready to go on your PC, in the event of a malware threat, is a big plus.

Most tech people, without software such as this, will look you in the eye and tell you, formatting the hard drive and doing a complete operating system rebuild is the only way they will touch your PC. Due to the complexity of malware and today’s operating systems, no one can guarantee that your PC will be completely cleaned after a malware infection.

I highly recommend that you download and install this software today.

Should You Need a License to Surf the Internet? – You Decide

Car drivers must be educated, practiced, and licensed in order to drive a car. This legal requirement of course, does not stop drunk drivers from getting into a car and killing innocent victims.

And it certainly does not eliminate our exposure to the speeders, tailgaters, and the road ragers that seem to plague our highways. Licensing then, doesn’t seem to eliminate the risks we face on the road.

So would requiring a license to use the Internet make it a safer place for all of us? Would requiring a license from the “Department of Computer Literacy”, protect us from the ever increasing exposure we all face to Trojans, Spyware, Virus’, Phishing Scams, Identity Theft, ….. the list goes on.

You may think that I’m being facetious; but I’m not. The fact is the dangers on the Internet are not, in a sense, unlike the dangers and risks we face while driving on our streets and highways.

Unlike the need to be educated and practiced, in order to qualify for a driver’s license; to access the Internet all that is required is a modem attached to a computer. There’s no need to prove qualifications. There’s no need to prove an awareness of the very real dangers that the Internet presents.

Being involved in computer security, I am amazed at the lack of knowledge exhibited by typical computer users, and most importantly, the lack of knowledge concerning the need to secure their machines against the ever increasing risks on the Internet.

I’m not talking about unintelligent people here. I am talking about people who are intelligent in every other aspect of life, but who view computers like cavemen who saw fire for the first time.

The problem, it seems, is multifaceted. Part of the problem is simply fear. People do not understand computers, so they are afraid of them in a sense. Secondly, people generally, are simply not interested in learning about computers sufficiently to make the fear go away. The question is, of course, should they need to know anything other than how to turn on a computer? Well maybe not.

Many computer experts agree that it is primarily flawed computer software, and not just inadequate user knowledge, that is the biggest contributor to the proliferation of unsecured computer systems and cyber-crime, on the Internet.

It seems to me then, what is needed as a good first step, are machines that are designed with simple, but internally sophisticated operating systems, secure and easy to use for the majority of users; where no user interaction is required to maintain the security of the system.

We now live in the age of the “Interconnectedness of All Things” in which we are beginning to see the development and availability of large numbers of Internet connected devices. There is no doubt that this will lend new strength to computer-aided crime and perhaps even terrorists.

Unless we develop a rational approach to the underlying security issues surrounding the Internet, and insist software companies’ stop rushing out new products with little regard for security, hackers will continue to flourish and successful attacks on computers over the internet will continue to proliferate.

There are steps you can take to decrease the likelihood you will be the victim of a successful attack on your computer.

The following is a brief guide to the basic security issues you should be aware of on the Internet, followed by a guide to some of the steps you can take to secure your computer for Internet usage.

Security risks on the Internet you need to be aware of:

Trojan horse programs

Back door and remote administration programs

Denial of service

Being an intermediary for another attack

Unprotected Windows shares

Mobile code (Java, JavaScript, and ActiveX)

Cross-site scripting

Email spoofing

Email-borne viruses

Hidden file extensions

Chat clients

Packet sniffing

Security Checklist: Actions you can take to protect your computer system:

Install WOT (Web of Trust), a free Internet Browser add-on. WOT tests web sites you are visiting for spyware, spam, viruses, browser exploits, unreliable online shops, phishing, and online scams, helping you avoid unsafe sites.

Don’t open unknown email attachments

Don’t run programs of unknown origin

Disable hidden filename extensions

Keep all applications (including your operating system) patched

Turn off your computer or disconnect from the network when not in use

Disable Java, JavaScript, and ActiveX if possible

Disable scripting features in email programs

Make regular backups of critical data

Make a boot disk in case your computer is damaged or compromised

Turn off file and printer sharing on the computer

Install a personal firewall on the computer

Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software and ensure it is configured to automatically update when you are connected to the Internet

Ensure the anti-virus software scans all e-mail attachments

The Internet Super Highway – Are You Licensed to Drive?

Car drivers must be educated and licensed in order to drive a car. This legal requirement of course, does not stop drunk drivers from getting into a car and killing someone. And it certainly does not eliminate our exposure to the speeders, tailgaters, and the road ragers that seem to plague our highways. Licensing then, doesn’t seem to eliminate the risks we face on the road.

So would requiring a license to use the Internet make it a safer place for all of us? Would requiring a license from the Department of Computer Literacy, protect us from the ever increasing exposure we all face to Trojans, Spyware, Virus’, Phishing Scams, Identity Theft, ….. the list goes on.

I’m being facetious of course. Unfortunately however, these dangers on the Internet are not, in a sense, unlike the dangers and risks we face while driving a car on our streets and highways.

Unlike the need to be educated and practiced, in order to qualify for a driver’s license; to access the Internet all that is required is a modem attached to a computer. There’s no need to prove qualifications. There’s no need to prove an awareness of the very real dangers that the Internet presents.

Being involved in computer security, I am amazed and frankly frustrated, at the lack of knowledge exhibited by many typical computer users, and most importantly, the lack of knowledge concerning the need to secure their machines against the ever increasing risks previously noted, on the Internet. I’m not talking about unintelligent people here. I am talking about people who are intelligent in every other aspect of life, but who view computers like cavemen who saw fire for the first time.

The problem, it seems, is multifaceted. Part of the problem, in my view, is simply fear. People do not understand computers, so they are afraid of them in a sense. Secondly, people generally, are simply not interested in learning about computers sufficiently to make the fear go away. The question is, of course, should they need to know anything other than how to turn on a computer and a minimum knowledge of the applications they use? Well maybe not.

Many computer experts agree that it is primarily flawed computer software and not just inadequate user knowledge that is the biggest contributor to the proliferation of unsecured computer systems and cyber-crime, on the Internet.

It seems to me then, what is needed as a good first step, are machines that are designed with outwardly simple, but internally sophisticated operating systems, secure and easy to use for the majority of users; where no user interaction is required to maintain the security of the system.

We now live in the age of the “Interconnectedness of All Things” in which we are beginning to see the development and availability of large numbers of Internet connected devices. There is no doubt that this will lend new strength to computer-aided crime and in this new political environment we now live in, perhaps even terrorists.

Unless we develop a rational approach to the underlying security issues surrounding the Internet, and insist software companies’ stop rushing out new products with little regard for security, hackers will continue to flourish and successful attacks on computers over the internet will continue to proliferate.

There are steps that you can take to decrease the likelihood you will be the victim of a successful attack on your computer. If you reduce your exposure to successful attacks on your machine, then downstream you are helping to protect my machine and those of others.

The following is a brief guide to the basic security issues you should be aware of on the Internet, followed by a guide to some of the steps you can take to secure your computer for Internet usage.

Security risks on the Internet you need to be aware of.

• Trojan horse programs
• Back door and remote administration programs
• Denial of service
• Being an intermediary for another attack
• Unprotected Window shares
• Mobile code (Java, JavaScript, and ActiveX)
• Cross-site scripting
• Email spoofing
• Email-borne viruses
• Hidden file extensions
• Chat clients
• Packet sniffing

Security Checklist: Actions you can take to protect your computer system.

• Don’t open unknown email attachments
• Don’t run programs of unknown origin
• Disable hidden filename extensions
• Keep all applications (including your operating system) patched
• Turn off your computer or disconnect from the network when not in use
• Disable Java, JavaScript, and ActiveX if possible
• Disable scripting features in email programs
• Make regular backups of critical data
• Make a boot disk in case your computer is damaged or compromised
• Turn off file and printer sharing on the computer.
• Install a personal firewall on the computer.
• Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software and ensure it is configured to automatically update when you are connected to the Internet.
• Ensure the anti-virus software scans all e-mail attachments.

The following tutorials are offered free of charge on CNET, one of the most widely respected sites on the Internet. If you are unfamiliar with basic computer security issues, I highly recommend that you visit this site.

Quick Tutorials

In these interactive slideshows, CNET’s experts take you step by step through PC security best practices.

• Erase Data on an Old PC
• Eliminate Spyware for Free on your Windows PC

Online Courses

Join the discussion about spam, spyware and virus control with others in free online classrooms.

• PC Protection 101
• Combat Spam and Phishing
• Combating Spyware and Adware

Quick Tips

• How not to get hacked
• How to use Ad-Aware
• Wi-Fi security on the road
• Protect your home network with your old PC

Cyber Crime – Do We Need Another Study to Reinforce the Reality?

Are you the type of person who is convinced that surveys accurately depict the reality behind the analyzes of the information gathered, or are you like me, thoroughly fed up with the type of pseudo surveys that we seem to be exposed to more and more, and that simply confirm the obvious.

For example, in the past week alone we have been exposed to surveys that purportedly prove that alcohol can:

Reduce the effects of dementia in the elderly

Decrease the incidence of heart disease

Increase the incidence of breast cancer in women

The value of these types of surveys, in my view, is questionable, since they simple repackage information that we have had access to, in some cases, for years.

Now we have another questionable survey; one from the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), which states “U.S. consumers don’t understand botnets; networks of compromised computers that have become one of the major methods for attacking computer systems”.

Ron Teixeira, executive director of the NCSA, said in a statement. “Consumers’ unsecured computers play a major role in helping cyber criminals conduct cyber crimes not only on the victim’s computer, but also against others connected to the Internet.” Teixeira went on to say that it is “alarming” that people don’t know how to keep their computers secure.

I think that one would have to have been on an extended vacation on Mars, not to have an understanding that the Internet is now the playground of cyber criminals and has been for a considerable time. This survey discloses no new information of any consequence, but instead rehashes information we have been aware of for years. In fact the statements in this survey can be applied to worldwide Internet users’ and are not restricted to those in the U.S.

Trying to determine why average computer/Internet users have little knowledge of computer/Internet security, does not require one to be a profound thinker to arrive at a number of hard and undeniable conclusions.

A reader of this Blog, commenting on a previous article on this Blog “The Unsecured Internet Super Highway – Are You Licensed to Drive?“, an article which deals with these surveyed issues, summed it up particularly well when he stated, “most people still see the computer as a kind of entertainment device… Computers are for playing, chatting, and watching short clips; listening to tunes…. people don’t take internet security seriously because they don’t think of the computer as a serious device”.

He went on to write – “Some of this is related to our cultural laziness around safety and prevention. People are routinely reckless with automobiles, decline to clean out the lint catch, and mishandle loaded guns. My frustration is with government, health and educational institutions that push people to use the internet as though it were as secure and straight forward as a hard-line telephone”. A factual and precise comment, I think.

And so we arrive at the crux of this matter: No one wants to take responsibly for the abysmal state of Internet safety and security. Not governments; not software developers; and least of all Internet users’. While there may be some level of comfort, for some, in continuing to do surveys on Internet and computer safety issues; we need to stop just talking about it, stop being part of the fear campaign, and develop solutions.

All Internet users’ need to come to the realization that we all have a shared responsibility to offer mutual protection to each other, by ensuring our individual machines are not part of the problem but instead are part of the solution.

There are some obvious solutions; some draconian, some less so, but those are issues for a future article.

The following tutorials are offered free of charge on CNET, one of the most widely respected sites on the Internet. If you are unfamiliar with basic computer security issues, I highly recommend that you visit this site.

Eliminate Spyware for Free on your Windows PC

Online Courses

PC Protection 101

Combat Spam and Phishing

Combating Spyware and Adware

Quick Tips

How not to get hacked

How to use Ad-Aware

Wi-Fi security on the road

Protect your home network with your old PC

Free security software

Spyware Doctor: Speed up your start-up

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Threats in Your Email – Hitman Online Extortion

It’s not uncommon for spam to include false warnings in order to trick the recipient into falling for a scam, a phishing attack or installing malware.

A previous spam campaign that was active towards the end of 2007 came in the form of an e-mail allegedly from a private investigator hired to investigate the recipient. This is a private investigator with a heart, it seems, since the email recipient is advised that their telephone is being monitored and that it will be revealed who planned this surveillance in a follow-up e-mail.

As a sign of good faith by the private investigator, a password-protected compressed file was attached to the message that supposedly contained a recording of the victim’s telephone conversations. In reality however, this password-protected compressed file was designed to defeat anti-malware applications running on the victim’s computer.

The file actually contained malware in the form of a Trojan horse, identified by Symantec Corporation as Trojan.Peacomm.D, which most of us know as the “Storm” Trojan. This malware is designed to gather system information and email addresses from a compromised computer. As well, this Trojan can infect legitimate system drivers, and variants can insert components into legitimate processes such as Explorer.exe and Services.exe.

Now we’re faced with a variant of this email scam, the Hitman email. These fear-provoking emails contain a threat that the recipient will be murdered by a hired Hitman. Fortunately, there is a way out of this predicament however; if the recipient will agree to pay a substantial sum of money to the Hitman the contract will be cancelled.

These Hitman emails are not a new occurrence since they were circulating on the Internet early in 2007. These frightening emails have resurfaced again in the past few months, and they seem to be aimed primarily at a select group of professional high earners, such as doctors, lawyers, and business owners, who are more likely to be in a position to pay the large sums of money demanded in the email.

Although there are many variations of this email, here is one example:

Good Day,

I want you to read this message very crefully, and keep the secret with you till further notice, You have no need of knowing who i am, where am from,till i make out a space for us to see, i have being paid $50,000.00 in adbance to terminate you with some reasons listed to me by my employer,its one i believe you call a friend,i have followed you closely for one week and three days now and have seen that you are innocent of the accusation,

Do not contact the police or F.B.I or try to send a copy of this to them, because if you do i will know, and might be pushed to do what i have being paid to do,beside this is the first time i turned out to be a betrayer in my job.

Now listen,i will arrange for us to see face to face but before that i need the amount of $80,000.00 and you will have nothing to be afraid of.I will be coming to see you in your office or home dtermine where you wish we meet,do not set any camera to cover us or set up any tape to record our conversation,my employer is in my control now,

You will need to pay $20,000.00 to the account i will provide for you, before we will set our first meeting,after you have make the first advance payment to the account,i will give you the tape that contains his request for me to terminate you, which will be enough evidence for you to take him to court(if you wish to), then the balance will be paid later.

You don’t need my phone contact for now till am assured you are ready to comply good.

Lucky You.

Like all email scams these emails, which contain many grammatical and spelling errors, are generally sent to a large number of people within the targeted group in the expectation, (usually justified), that some will respond. Compounding the issue further, the cyber criminals may try to collect personal information from the victim in an attempt at identity theft.

Keeping in mind that email scams are sent out in bulk it’s reasonable to assume, if you should receive such an email, you are not in any danger of being murdered by a hired killer. Obviously the attempt at extortion is genuine, but the threat against your life is not.

Internet security experts always advise; if you receive unsolicited email messages, you should not reply or respond in any way, but instead simply delete the message from your inbox. In the case of this particular email scam law enforcement officials repeat that advice; that you not respond.

However, in the event you receive a threatening email that includes significant personal information that is specific to you, to ensure your safety, it would be prudent to report this to your local police department.

From Scambusters.org

Don’t Get Scammed!

Many scammers are very cunning, so being smart is NOT enough to protect yourself. Every day smart subscribers thank us saying they would have been scammed if they didn’t subscribe to ScamBusters. Don’t take a chance. Subscribe FREE to ScamBusters, a public service and the #1 publication on Internet fraud.

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The Unsecured Internet Super Highway – Are You Licensed to Drive?

Car drivers must be educated and licensed in order to drive a car. This legal requirement of course, does not stop drunk drivers from getting into a car and killing someone. And it certainly does not eliminate our exposure to the speeders, tailgaters, and the road ragers that seem to plague our highways. Licensing then, doesn’t seem to eliminate the risks we face on the road.

So would requiring a license to use the Internet make it a safer place for all of us? Would requiring a license from the Department of Computer Literacy, protect us from the ever increasing exposure we all face to Trojans, Spyware, Virus’, Phishing Scams, Identity Theft, ….. the list goes on.

I’m being facetious of course. Unfortunately however, these dangers on the Internet are not, in a sense, unlike the dangers and risks we face while driving on our streets and highways.

Unlike the need to be educated and practiced, in order to qualify for a driver’s license; to access the Internet all that is required is a modem attached to a computer. There’s no need to prove qualifications. There’s no need to prove an awareness of the very real dangers that the Internet presents.

Being involved in computer security, I am amazed and frankly frustrated, at the lack of knowledge exhibited by typical computer users, and most importantly, the lack of knowledge concerning the need to secure their machines against the ever increasing risks previously noted, on the Internet. I’m not talking about unintelligent people here. I am talking about people who are intelligent in every other aspect of life, but who view computers like cavemen who saw fire for the first time.

The problem, it seems, is multifaceted. Part of the problem is simply fear. People do not understand computers, so they are afraid of them in a sense. Secondly, people generally, are simply not interested in learning about computers sufficiently to make the fear go away. The question is, of course, should they need to know anything other than how to turn on a computer and a minimum knowledge of the applications they use? Well maybe not.

Many computer experts agree that it is primarily flawed computer software and not just inadequate user knowledge that is the biggest contributor to the proliferation of unsecured computer systems and cyber-crime, on the Internet.

It seems to me then, what is needed as a good first step, are machines that are designed with simple, but internally sophisticated operating systems, secure and easy to use for the majority of users; where no user interaction is required to maintain the security of the system.

We now live in the age of the “Interconnectedness of All Things” in which we are beginning to see the development and availability of large numbers of Internet connected devices. There is no doubt that this will lend new strength to computer-aided crime and in this new political environment we now live in, perhaps even terrorists.

Unless we develop a rational approach to the underlying security issues surrounding the Internet, and insist software companies’ stop rushing out new products with little regard for security, hackers will continue to flourish and successful attacks on computers over the internet will continue to proliferate.

There are steps you can take to decrease the likelihood you will be the victim of a successful attack on your computer. If you reduce your exposure to successful attacks on your machine, then downstream you are helping to protect my machine and those of others.

 

 

The following is a brief guide to the basic security issues you should be aware of on the Internet, followed by a guide to some of the steps you can take to secure your computer for Internet usage.

Security risks on the Internet you need to be aware of.

• Trojan horse programs
• Back door and remote administration programs
• Denial of service
• Being an intermediary for another attack
• Unprotected Windows shares
• Mobile code (Java, JavaScript, and ActiveX)
• Cross-site scripting
• Email spoofing
• Email-borne viruses
• Hidden file extensions
• Chat clients
• Packet sniffing

 

Security Checklist: Actions you can take to protect your computer system.

• Don’t open unknown email attachments
• Don’t run programs of unknown origin
• Disable hidden filename extensions
• Keep all applications (including your operating system) patched
• Turn off your computer or disconnect from the network when not in use
• Disable Java, JavaScript, and ActiveX if possible
• Disable scripting features in email programs
• Make regular backups of critical data
• Make a boot disk in case your computer is damaged or compromised
• Turn off file and printer sharing on the computer.
• Install a personal firewall on the computer.
• Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software and ensure it is configured to automatically update when you are connected to the Internet.
• Ensure the anti-virus software scans all e-mail attachments.

 

The following tutorials are offered free of charge on CNET, one of the most widely respected sites on the Internet. If you are unfamiliar with basic computer security issues, I highly recommend that you visit this site.

Quick Tutorials

In these interactive slideshows, CNET’s experts take you step by step through PC security best practices.

• Erase Data on an Old PC
• Eliminate Spyware for Free on your Windows PC

Online Courses

Join the discussion about spam, spyware and virus control with others in our free online classrooms.

• PC Protection 101
• Combat Spam and Phishing
• Combating Spyware and Adware

Quick Tips

• How not to get hacked
• How to use Ad-Aware
• Wi-Fi security on the road
• Protect your home network with your old PC
• Free security software
• Spyware Doctor: Speed up your start-up

 

Since this is Easter Sunday, this is a reposting, with minor editing, of a previously posted article.

Need Free Security Programs? – 10 Of The Best!

Since I first wrote an article on the ten best free security applications, a number of new programs have been released that I have had the opportunity to test. Some applications such as Avira AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic, Spyware Terminator, and several others have replaced previous recommendations; so this updated list.

avast! 4 Home Edition

www.avast.com

This anti-virus application is a winner, scanning files on demand and on access, including email attachments. It alerts you when it detects mal-ware through its real-time shield function. An important feature is a boot-time scan option which removes mal-ware that can’t be removed any other way.

Avira AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic

www.avira.com

This anti-virus program offers comprehensive protection with an easy to use interface. In the three months I have been testing Avira I have been impressed with its performance, and I have come to rely on it as my primary anti-virus program. I highly recommend this one.

Spyware Doctor Starter Edition

www.Download.com

Spyware Doctor Starter Edition from PC Tools is an excellent choice, as a secondary line of defense. This free version of the award winning program, with its easy to use interface, is used by millions of people worldwide to protect their computers; it’s reported there are a million+ additional downloads every week. Be aware however, there is no real-time protection offered with this version and this is the reason I recommend this application as a secondary scanner only.

Spyware Terminator

www.spywareterminator.com

Having tested virtually all of the major anti-spyware applications over the last year or more, I’ve settled, for now, on Spyware Terminator primarily due to its strong real-time protection against spyware, adware, Trojans, key-loggers, home page hijackers and other malware threats. In my view this is the definitive free anti-spyware application.

Ad-Aware 2007

www.lavasoftusa.com

Having used this application for years the latest release does not disappoint. Ad-Aware 2007 Free remains the best free spyware and adware remover available. It does a relatively good job of protecting against known Trojans, dialers, malware, browser hijackers and tracking components. The only downside with the free version is real-time protection is not included.

ThreatFire 3

www.threatfire.com

ThreatFire 3 excels at blocking mal-ware including zero-day threats, by analyzing program behavior. Again, this is one of the security applications that forms part of my front line defenses. I have found it to have high success rate at blocking mal-ware based on analysis of behavior. In fact, since I installed this application 6 months ago I have not had to deal with any security breaches.

Comodo Firewall

www.comodogroup.com

The definitive free firewall, Comodo Firewall protects your system by defeating hackers and restricting unauthorized programs from accessing the Internet. I have been using this application for 6 months and I continue to feel very secure. It resists being forcibly terminated and it works as well, or better, than any firewall I’ve paid for. This is one I highly recommend. Amazing that it’s free!

ZoneAlarm

www.zonelabs.com

The free version of ZoneAlarm lacks the features of ZoneAlarm Pro’s firewall. Its program control asks you regularly whether to allow programs; for some this can get to be intrusive and annoying. But it’s been around forever it seems, and it can’t be shut down, or out, by mal-ware.

WinPatrol

www.winpatrol.com

Do you want to get a better understanding of what programs are being added to your computer? Then WinPatrol is the program for you. With WinPatrol, in your system tray, you can monitor system areas that are often changed by malicious programs. You can monitor your startup programs and services, cookies and current tasks. Should you need to, WinPatrol allows you to terminate processes and enable, or disable, startup programs. There are additional features that make WinPatrol a very powerful addition to your security applications.

SnoopFree Privacy Shield

www.snoopfree.com

SnoopFree Privacy Shield is a powerful application that guards your keyboard, screen and open windows from all spy software. I have been using this application for quite some time, and I have been amazed at the number of programs that have requested access to my keyboard and screen. In particular, programs that I am in the process of installing. If you’re serious about privacy, this is a must have addition to your security toolbox.