Holidays + Online Security

Folks,

Turns out Holidays is a big time for identity theft, viruses, ransomware scams etc... etc..

This year may be particularly bad.

• Have Antivirus up running and up to date at all time. (List of My Approved Vendors Sophos, BitDefender, ESET. If you have to go Free Sophos, BitDefender, Avast, AVG... Symantec and Macafee are fine, not my favorite YMMV)
  
  
• SPAM is way... way up, mostly around phishing (probably related to all the breaches lately) ... There is a whole new wave of "Normal" looking phishing emails, Order Confirmations, Tracking Request, Offers, Account verifications and for offers on more normal stuff, housewares autos, financial etc and of course Spear Phishing from Brands you know. DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINKS. if you think it is legit... type in the URL to the company yourself.
  
  
• Also DO NOT CLICK on the UnSubscribe, basically for spammers that verifies your email and turns it to Gold.
  
  
• Now is NOT the time for a "Free Scan of your Computer" Ransomware is on the rise.
  
  
• Browsing... stay out of the back waters of the internet. Do not click on links requiring you to download a "Codec" or Software to view , Video, Audio Deals etc. etc...
  
  
• If your AntiVirus says a page is unsafe... get out of there.
  
  
• I know there a varying feelings on PayPal, but it does provide a degree of separation.
  
  
• If you know how, turn off the automatic downloading of images. Images track which email have been opened, also verifying your email.
  
  
• AdBlock Plus is good (but turn it off on IMTBTrails
  
  
• If you think you have been infected take a picture of the screen, and get to your local IT support person (thats me in my family) you probably know one. Don't try to remove it on your own you may just make it worse.
  
  
• Yes there are other thing like 3rd party cookies and turning off javascript etc.. I will leave that to the those who know how to do it.

And of Course as Robert De Niro said in one of my Favorite movies Ronin about bad guys....."If there is Any Doubt...There is no Doubt"

Or When in Doubt ask... Be Safe out there...

 

When we buy anything online we olnly use a credit card never a debit card. Scammers seem to do less damage with only a credit card. I also try to call in a order if possible. Unless someone is tapping your phone it is almost impossible to get the card information.

 

Good tips. I’ve received some pretty authentic looking phishing emails lately. I delete them immediately. I only use my AX card or PayPal on line. AX has a good fraud policy.

 

ESET. 'Nuff said.

 

ESET. 'Nuff said.

 

I wanna be a Luddite! You kids and yer fancy shmancy gadgets to make your lazy butts even lazier. Why, back in my day, we didn't have drones delivering bicycle parts to our houses. If a part broke, we had to fabricate a solution out of scrap metal, duct tape and bailing wire or by welding a used file to the chainstay!

 

I just completed a phishing course at work to protect the business from email scams, I’m ready! They actually send us dummy emails occasionally and I always get a pop up “congrats” for catching a phisher who turned out to be my own IT guys trying to trick me.

 

You forgot the main ones:

(1) Never ever create a Facebook account. If you have one, delete it ASAP (good luck with that).
(2) If you have to have a Linked-In account, only make it dry and impersonal and bare bones work experience. NOTHING personal. Never use it to socially network. Never use it to send personal information or photos.
(3) Don't use Twitter... ever.
(4) Understand that Facebook also owns Whatsapp and Instagram - and they aggregate all your user contacts and information into a massive user database that they use to track your contact information and user behavior - which they own for all time.
(5) Ditto for Google and Microsoft... though no one is quite as bad as Facebook.
(6) Never put a personal name, email or phone number anywhere on public space on the Internet. That includes in public forums that can be scanned without creating a user account.

 

I'm screwed....

 

What's Facebook?

 

A waste of time