Walling Data's Top Ten Safety Tips for Online Shopping
As more consumers than ever hit the Internet next week, more hackers are lying in wait to take advantage of them. So how does one stay protected from the dangers of the Internet while Christmas shopping?
CLAREMONT, N.C., Nov 26, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cyber Week, the week after Thanksgiving when more Americans surf the Internet for shopping than any other day, is almost upon us.
Judging from the grim holiday outlook, consumers are more frugal and looking on the Internet for bargains. In fact, BusinessWeek reports a new survey by The Conference Board and the research firm TNS shows that planned online holiday spending will be up 9 percent from last year, to $42.5 billion--compared to a 1.5 percent growth rate in storefront spending. Retailers are already prepared, with many offering special deals and incentives for shopping online.
With any opportunity also comes a threat: As more consumers than ever hit the Internet next week, more hackers are lying in wait to take advantage of them. So how does one stay protected from the dangers of the Internet this holiday?
"The Internet is safe if you follow basic, fundamental rules of using a computer safely," says Luke Walling, Founder and President of Walling Data, one of the largest distributors of online security products in the country. "Many people think of their computer much like they would an appliance, such as a microwave or stereo that behaves in a predictable pre-programmed way. But, in reality computers are dynamic devices that evolve dramatically with the installation of each new program. It's important to remember that viruses and spyware are programs as well."
"Bottom line: If you use your computer on the Internet, it and you are exploitable. When you plug your computer into your cable modem, and open up your web browser, you become a part of a gigantic world-wide network - and immediately put yourself at risk."
"Things are not always what they seem. Most of the threats we see today are well disguised before and after installation; they are designed to exploit your behavior, holes in your operating system or web browser to install automatically and then sit quietly in the background logging your personal details."
Here are Luke Walling's top ten things to remember this holiday season to keep your computer and identity safe from hackers:
1) Update your computer regularly. Your top defense against "web exploits" is 'patching' your software (making sure it is updated). Visit manufacturer's websites often for updates and don't ignore regular update prompts at the bottom of your screen - this applies to anything that uses your web browser or is linked to it. Apply Window Products Updates religiously - (windowsupdate.microsoft.com) and keep up-to-date security software running on your PC.
2) Secure your Internet connection and PC. People who use low bandwidth connections, such as dial-up, are more susceptible to threats simply because they are "directly connected" to the internet. Make sure you have a firewall running on your PC (Windows XP SP2 includes one free and enabled by default) and if you have a high speed internet connection, you are using an external firewall built into your router. Always keep reputable anti-virus and anti-spyware protection running and updated!
3) Security through anonymity: Use something other than a PC. I use Windows myself and throughout our business, but Apple users are generally at far less risk mostly because the user-base is smaller. Hackers don't even bother creating exploits for Apple computers because there are fewer Apple users, and it's harder work to hack. Why not just concentrate on those easy to reach Windows users?
4) Security through anonymity: Use a browser other than Internet Explorer and keep it up to date. Most threats are designed to exploit holes in Internet Explorer. You can reduce your risk dramatically by using browsers with a smaller user base such as Mozilla Firefox, Opera or even Apple's Safari. Make sure you check for browser updates frequently, too.
5) Keep your personal information well-guarded. Never, ever type in your personal information, such as financial information or a social security number anywhere that seems out of place. It's very unlikely that your bank would ask for your social security number by email! Watch out for email "phishing" scams.
6) Don't be so quick to react. If something is constantly in your face, it's probably an exploit. Don't click on popup ads that say it looks like you are infected with spyware - just because it looks real doesn't mean it is! If a popup asks you to click on links, open or run programs, and it's not something you initiated - don't do it. Instead opt to close the window.
7) Trust but verify. Don't download, install or run any file without researching it first. Use Google or Yahoo, search for the file name, program name, and see what comes up. Ask the IT person at work or your local IT company if they are familiar with the product. By always looking at everything as a threat first and foremost, you will learn to think before you react.
Watch out for pop-ups disguised as security alerts. Inexperienced shoppers almost always believe everything they see on the Internet. For example, we see one threat daily that is delivered via popup ads that say 'You are infected' with a button that says 'click here'. Naturally lots of people think this popup is coming from their computer or antivirus software so they click on the button, and then open or run the file that attempts to open - When they do, the threat is released! The result is an expensive security cleanup or theft of your personal information.
9) Remember credible websites are not guaranteed to be safe. All websites, especially those with banner advertisements, are susceptible to bugs. MLB.com, Iams.com, AliciaKeys.com and even search engines like Google and Yahoo! have been targets this year. Just because a site is reputable, does not mean it is safe. For instance, hackers hide "instructions" in banner ads that are triggered at certain intervals, for instance: on every 50th click they may run an order that runs a program to look for holes in your web browser or Windows operating system to extract personal information that can be sold to the highest bidder!
10) Beware of illegitimate software products. Every day, consumers are scammed by purchasing "products" that look legitimate but are not. Once again, this exploit preys on a person's nature to believe they are getting a good deal on something without doing the research on whether or not the product or vendor is credible. If in doubt, we recommend spywarewarrior.com to check out the legitimacy of security products, otherwise revert to the "search for it" rule using Yahoo or Google. One minute of your time up front can save hours later to clean up a spyware infection or worse, theft of your personal identity information.
In summary, Walling says, "Staying safe online is all about getting back to basics. I surf the Internet all the time, but I watch out where I browse, and what I allow to be installed on my computer, and at our offices. A layered approach to security is always best at work and home. You don't have to be a computer geek, like me, to protect yourself. You have to take action to protect yourself and your data: don't expect that it won't ever happen to you."
Original Article
