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Five Threats to your Internet Security

Monday Jan 25, 2010

The Internet is a very scary place. If you don’t have internet security software, you are playing a risky game. That’s a very simple and direct statement but a powerful one. I am sure most PC users have had some form of malware on the PC. We all have been the victim of a virus, spyware, adware, phishing or spam mail. All these have the potential to cause crippling damage to your PC, threaten your privacy or expose to your personal information.

Since 2004 online shopping, banking and digital trading has increased 25% each year. If you are performing any of these actions without the aid of internet security software, you are being very foolish and making hackers very happy. It has never been more risky to shop online. The Spam/Spyware industry alone has become a billion dollar underground network. Your information is valuable. Hackers are will to invest time and resources to obtain. Therefore, it is more important than ever to learn how to combat these threats with internet security software and educate yourself on safe surfing techniques. Here are the top five threats to your internet security.

1. Spyware

Spyware is an all inclusive term that includes most malware such as Trojans, adware, pop up ads, modified cookies, keyloggers etc. This term does not include virus which is engineered to replicates itself, not spy or steal. Spyware is usually engineered to watch your online activity and uncover security flaws. This is usually the first step in setting you up for some time information theft. Hackers have developed sophisticated tools such as keyloggers that can record every key you type. Yes that means passwords, banking information, and email entries can be uncovered using this software. A quick tip is to avoid free anti-spyware. This has been proven to be ineffective and sometime can be spyware itself. Remember that spyware works by exposing flaws in your internet security. So search for the anti-spyware program with a major magazine endorsement. Here is a link for more information on spyware removal. Visit the site below for more info a products for spyware removal.

2. Identity Theft.

Hackers can steal your information by a variety of methods. Once this information is gained, it will be used to make online purchases using your credit card data, divert paychecks and create false documents. Usually the top internet security software comes with some protection against this problem. An internet security suite may be your best bet to protect your online information. Quick tips to protect yourself against online ID theft are never provide your credit card info to any site that does not offer multiple forms of internet security to protect your transaction. Another key factor to search for is a major secure payment processor logos and information. And last but not least, please read the internet security warning before the payment is processed. It only natural that you protect yourself against this internet security threat.

3. Spam Mail

Spam Mail itself is not dangerous. However Spam mail can have malicious links that can do everything from cause your PC to be infected by a virus, introduce spyware, and attract more spam. A good internet spam filter is usually a good option. Using internet security software and some common sense will help you avoid be inundated with spam mail. Quick internet security tip: When typing your address into the net. Try using a combination of 13 letters and numbers. This will make it very difficult for address to be added spam mail list.

Enormous News 2010 Another great new product by Tim Godfrey and Steve Clayton called Niche Blueprint 2.0 Review is coming out to help all of us marketers who are doing or want to do ecommerce storefronts. Let me ask you will you be there for the release, I already have my sport inline and I recommend that you do as well. Happy New Year 2010 everyone!

4. Phishing Mail

There is not doubt that you may have heard the term “phishing”. If you haven’t, you soon will because it’s a major internet security threat. This method has become one of the more popular ways to stealing vital information such as user names and password. This works by sending messages to your email account pretending to be trusted sites such as eBay, Paypal or your bank. The links redirect you to a fake site that mimics the trusted site. You type in your personal information and hacker using it to make online transactions with your info or your money. This is real threat to you internet security. The best way to avoid this is to update your web browser with phishing detection. Also other internet security software packages have great phishing detection systems such as Webroot’s Spysweeper and ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite.

5. You!!

That’s right maybe the factor the poses the biggest threat to your internet security. Social engineering such as clicking on obvious spam mail links, downloading freeware and sharing files is a very dangerous practice on the net. By just investing in the best software and updating regularly, could save you from frustration and identity theft. This is the one category where the bargain bin should be avoided. Also, never download anything that is sent to your mail unless you have scanned it for spyware and viruses. However, in the age of digital sharing people often buck internet security by trading pictures, movies and files without hesitaion.

Are you surprised that computer viruses didn’t make the Top 5 internet security threats? There are several reasons for this is not considered the number one internet security threat. One is that the hackers have been shying away from the use of viruses because the technology is mint to disrupt and destroy your internet security. However, spyware is easier to develop and much more effective. Also, most computer users and Windows developers have taken the steps to protect themselves. Anti-virus programs are quite good and can usually respond to new viruses by updating the signature databases daily.

All in all you are responsible for that steps you take online. However, there is no need to risk loosing your valuable data or money because of lack of PC maintenance. Upgrade your computer by increases the amount of internet security measures. Feel confident that you done everything to protect yourself and enjoy everything the net has to offer.

Gaelim Holland
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/five-threats-to-your-internet-security-139019.html

9 Comments »

George S:

Which OS is more secure Mac OS, Windows, Linux?
I have found some disturbing facts but do these articles have any merits? I mean, Apple has the best OS in the world. Right?

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows-vs-Linux-vs-Mac-OS-X-50180.shtml

http://search.techrepublic.com.com/search/apple+macintosh+and+microsoft+windows+and+security.html

Also, the amount of time it takes to address these vulnerabilities is interesting.
http://eval.symantec.com/mktginfo/enterprise/white_papers/ent-whitepaper_internet_security_threat_report_xi_03_2007.en-us.pdf
From Symantec publication…
"Microsoft Windows had the shortest average patch development time of the five operating systems in the
last six months of 2006. During this period, Windows had an average patch development time of 21 days

…Apple Mac OS X had the third shortest average patch development time in the second half of 2006, at
66 days for a sample set of 43 vulnerabilities…"
Seeing so many advantages in using Mac OS, should people consider running a multi-million, billion company on Mac Server OS and on Mac hardware? I know of a lot of fortune 500 companies run some of their divisions on Microsoft products. Why is this? Also, I believe Pixar’s Render Farm is made up of non-xserve hardware.

January 25th, 2010 | 7:17 am
Dugan007:

Mac OS X I think is the best, I have used windows for years and just this year I got a Mac, I have had no problems with it, I have more fun with the software that comes with it, and it takes no time to do what you want to do on a Mac!
References :

January 25th, 2010 | 12:19 pm
Thomas T:

Linux was based on Unix. Unix/Linux was built to be secure from the ground up. And since there are fewer people using Linux most hackers ignore it and go for Windows. I run Linux behind a firewall but have no antivirus or antispyware programs working for them. I have both for my Windows machines. I don’t use Macs but I think they are fairly secure too.
References :

January 25th, 2010 | 12:21 pm
SuperGrouper:

It’s pretty well-known that Windows is the most vulnerable- but that’s not necessarily because Microsoft is incompetent: about 90% of computers run Windows, so it makes more sense for virus-makers and other bad folk to make malware which targets Windows. If you make a Linux-only virus, then only about 1% of computer users would be hurt by it. That’s not the sort of massive-damage that virus-makers want.

I’d say that Linux is the most secure, in the end, but Mac has had more work put into it by professionals. Just use a good antivirus, whatever OS you choose.
References :

January 25th, 2010 | 12:23 pm
crea_dpi:

even when I have windows based computer @ my office & home the best OS is MacOS 4 sure, just see how microsoft keeps copying them since the very begining when we had 50 Hz computers running on 4 Mbs of ram, and now with the "realease" of vista, MacOS 4 sure is the best OS and apple computers won’t crash as the PC line does :) . . .
References :

January 25th, 2010 | 12:25 pm
Greg S:

Not in the world, however they are pretty much an industry leader, (although people do not like to admit it!) but if you look at the facts:
Mac was first to allow image and text to be shown on screen at the same time, (i.e work with images and text in the same document.)
Mac was first to offer "commercial" connection to the Internet, (the i-mac)
You just need to look at Microsoft vista and Mac osX to notice the strange similarities, http://pulsar.esm.psu.edu/Faculty/Gray/graphics/movies/Gates-Praising-the-Macintosh.mov – think that probably explains why, (early bill gates!!) ( The new vista OS is like the older apple, w8 for mac leopard!
Security wise – Pc’s are pretty pathetic when it comes to viruses, I spend half the time downloading stupid updates for anti virus etc, Macs are generally more secure, however the odd virus has been released for the mac it is usually resolved with a system update of some sort to block it out.
As for Linux, I believe it won’t be to long before we start to see viruses appearing in them, although the open source programs used are quite respectable, you may be restricting yourself to what you can actually do with your PC
References :

January 25th, 2010 | 12:27 pm
fjpoblam:

(Sorry, as a dialup user, I don’t have the time or patience to get to the Symantec pdf document, but then, I suspect Symantec has a vested interest in promoting their "wedded spouse" Microsoft…)

I’ve always been a Microsoft user. I see that, in the world, it has the advantage of being "the language spoken" (rather analagous to "English" in the "human tongue" world).

However, Apple certainly has the vast security of having no "registry" to mess with, and that is, as I understand it, one of the main security vulnerabilities of Windows, necessitating continuous round-robins of security fixes on the part of Symantec and their like. (E.g. to install software on Apples, one just moves an executable to a system executables folder, no? Or am I uninformed here?)

Yes, yes, I’ve seen that Apple is slow to release fixes. I’m eagerly looking for more on security breaches before *I* leap. But Apple’s ability to virtualize a Windows system seems somehow very powerful (and does this imply security?)
References :

January 25th, 2010 | 12:29 pm
Niklaus Pfirsig:

Windows is the most insecure OS. This is largely due to the basic design of the windows kernel and the fact that it allow to much access for the system services. The underlying design of windows, often requires thet systems services execute with admin privileges, so any security flaw in a service, has admin access when exploited. Microsoft’s "close integration" of Internet Explorer into Windows effectively made many web-browser functions into system services. Any application that is Web-enabled can potentially be exploited for admin privileges.
Linux services (called daemons in unix-speak) usually execute with their own user name and as an unprivileged user that can communicate in a limited fashion with the kernel. As a result, a security flay in the service, or any client that uses the service is not likely to gain administrative privileges. In addition, application files are usually installed as read-only, requiring owner privileges to update, delete or overwrite, thus making it extremely unlikely that a virus attach itself to any executable, since the virus would have to convince the kernel that it owned the executable before it could alter it.
Mac OS X is actually based on a unix descendent that many consider to be more secure than linux: BSD (Berkely System Distribution ). I am not familiar enough with OS X to comment beyond that.
There is more malware for Windows that with linux or Mac OS X, simply because it provides a more virus friendly environment. You should als note that most of the worm programs for windows are written in visual basic for applications which is the Microsoft -proprietary scripting language for their Office software products, and has access to many Web-enabled features. Getting patches out quicly is good, but every application installed on Windos is a potential security risk that OS patches do not address, simply because the infrastructure itself in inherently insecure..
Unix derived OSes, including Linux and Mac OS X, are virus-unfriendly by design.
Response time to security risks in only part of the story. the Serverity of the risks in more important.
References :

January 25th, 2010 | 12:31 pm
Roland J:

Bottom line windows was not built to be on the Internet or a network(because of its underlying DOS). There are tons of Linux equipment out there that people would love to bring to its knees w/ a virus but it can be avoided with first grade knowledge of how Linux operates.

Mac now has BSD as its underlying system. So it now has a little muscle. It is better

RJ
References :

January 25th, 2010 | 12:33 pm
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