Internet Security, or Lack of It

You may have read the recent article in various newspapers where the BBC carried out a test to discover how many times a PC is attacked each day.  The result was 50 times.  It also highlighted that 80% of attacks were carried out on home PCs.  No real surprise there as large corporations have teams of IT staff all working to protect their systems.

So what can the lowly home or small business PC user do to protect themselves.

1. Ensure you have an active and up to date Anti-Virus system installed
2. Ensure you have an active and up to date Malware / Spyware system installed
3. Do not rely on the above systems to automatically take care of your computer.  Run regular scans of your system.
4. Do not open e-mails from someone you do not know or companies you have not dealt with on line before.  Delete them or add to your Spam list.
5. Viruses can come from e-mails, files downloaded from the internet or from CD’s given to us from friends.
6. Make sure your antivirus programme checks all incoming e-mails.
7. Back up your data.  We all keep photographs downloaded from digital cameras, letters and other documents and data on our computers.  Some serious attacks may result in the need to reformat your hard drive and cause the loss of this data.  Operating systems and applications can all be reinstalled.  The photograph of the holiday, wedding or party cannot be recreated.  Back everything to Floppy Disk, CD or DVD.

The above is not an exhaustive list but should be regarded as the minimum for all system.

E-Mail Scams

As well as trying to attack us, we are also constantly under threat from people trying to Scam us.  Some examples are:

1. Receiving an e-mail asking us to assist in getting large sums of money, usually from some deceased or deposed African leader, out of their country by using our Bank Accounts.

Remember the old adage, if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.  Ask yourself, how does somebody from this country know me and my e-mail address.  These e-mails have been sent to thousands of random e-mail addresses in the hope that a small percentage will respond.  If you do, they will use your Bank Account details to perpetrate a fraud and clear out your account.  Assign these e-mails to the bin.

1. Receiving an e-mail from a British Bank asking you to confirm your security and account details.  Usually contains the threat that if you do not reply, they will close your account.

I can guarantee that these e-mails are NOT from you Bank.  No Bank would ask you for any such details either by e-mail or letter.  I would recommend that if you have any problems with your Bank or Account, go speak to your Bank or look up their call centre number and speak to them directly.  Again, if you respond, they will perpetrate a fraud and empty you account.  Assign these e-mails to the bin.

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