Web of deceit
By Conrad Walters | smh.com.au | 28 April
We rely on computers for online banking, to buy books and music, to file tax returns, to submit health claims and far more. But with the volume of technical nasties soaring each year, how can you be confident your computer protects your personal and financial information?
Invulnerability is impractical. However, it is easy to stack the odds so high in your favour that hackers look elsewhere. After all, time is money for them, too. With that in mind, Money has compiled five key steps to protecting yourself online.
INSTALL SECURITY SOFTWARE
Full security packages today aren't limited to finding viruses.
They extend into preventive areas such as checking websites, scanning attachments and monitoring attempts to steal your identity.
Craig Scroggie, the Australian vice-president of the security vendor Symantec, which makes Norton antivirus programs, notes that 90.1 per cent of email in Australia last month was spam and about one in every 350 of those was malicious.
With some two dozen companies selling protection, it can be hard to pick one. However, websites such as reviews.cnet.com compare security programs. Beware though: some security programs available online are fakes designed by hackers, so select a reputable company. These include McAfee, Norton, NOD32, F-Secure, Sophos, Trend Micro, Kaspersky and AVG.
If your wallet contains only lint and moths, all is not lost. Many companies offer free, cut-down versions. Microsoft also offers a free antivirus program called Security Essentials for customers with licensed versions of Windows.
UPDATE YOUR PROGRAMS
Antivirus software detects attempted intrusions but it doesn't fill the holes hackers use to get in. This is why it is important to install security updates.
Microsoft issues updates for Windows and its other programs such as Internet Explorer, a favourite target of hackers. But any program can have a security hole. Acrobat Reader and Flash have proven particularly vulnerable.
With so many programs and browser plug-ins, it can seem overwhelming to keep up. But there is a solution. Secunia (secunia.com) offers a free program called PSI - Personal Software Inspector - that scans your computer and checks to see whether any software on your PC poses a danger. The program also helps you resolve problems that it finds.
The chief technical officer at Secunia, Thomas Kristensen, told Money he believes software companies make it too difficult for consumers to keep abreast of updates. PSI is an attempt to address this problem, and is highly recommended.
PROTECT YOUR HOME NETWORK
Wireless home networks have unshackled computers but Scroggie says a surprising number of people fail to set a password for their networks. And of those who do, many neglect to change the default password.
He urges people to password protect everything - computers, smartphones, routers - that connects to your network. "If all of your devices are password protected and you create a good password - a combination of letters, numbers and characters - you're doing very well," Scroggie says.
It is also wise to disguise information on your home network. Of the three types of encryption available, WEP is the weakest, WAP is acceptable and WAP2 is the most secure.
While it takes little (if any) skill to install and update antivirus software, and updating insecure programs is relatively easy with the Secunia software, securing a wireless network is undeniably more complex.
But it is worth consulting the instructions, looking online for help or phoning a friend. Many modems and routers also have telephone support with operators that can guide consumers through the steps. It is included in the price, so there's no need to be shy.
BACK UP YOUR FILES
Every computer user has heard (and paid the price after ignoring) this advice. It's one thing to be attacked and recover control of your computer. But if you lose important files, it's a hollow victory over cybercriminals.
As we accumulate irreplaceable pictures and confidential documents, the importance of a back-up also grows. Fortunately, most computers address this by offering to put pristine copies of files in a separate part of your hard drive.
A better option is to save your information away from your computer. External hard drives that plug into a USB port can now store a terabyte of information - that's 1000 gigabytes - for less than $150.
Another option is to store copies of your information online. Some software security packages include space online to store your files. Then, even if your computer is hacked or, god forbid, the house burns down, your information survives.
USE COMMON SENSE
No amount of software is going to protect you against yourself. Sometimes selecting the metaphorical pause button instead of the send button is the most important step of prevention.
For example, you should know your bank will never use an email in an attempt to confirm your personal details.
Be wary of any link or attachment in an email from a stranger. They are best deleted without being opened, no matter how amusing the subject lines seem. If the attachment installs a keylogging program on your computer, it won't seem funny once your bank account has been emptied.
It is easy for cybercriminals to register web addresses that resemble legitimate sites, so check where you really are before you enter personal information into a web page.
Similarly, a message from a friend on Facebook isn't necessarily safe. A common scam involves sending a message to a person's Facebook friends and ask for help after allegedly being robbed while overseas. Scroggie says social networking sites continue to be manipulated by cybercriminals who exploit the trust between friends.
First published by Smh.com.au on April 28 2010
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