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How to Protect Yourself and Your Computer Online
Charles Anderson
Consultant and Educator
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Outline
• Basic steps to safeguard your computer
Phishing and online fraud prevention
• Just hitting the high points
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Computer Risks
• Malware literally refers to “bad software” - viruses, worms, spyware
Malware typically arrives w/o your knowledge
• Be careful what you intentionally install
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Malware Prevention
• Software Updates
Anti-virus & anti-spyware
• Firewall
• Be careful/suspicious of free software
• Non-Microsoft alternatives
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Prevention - OS Updates
• Keep the operating system up-to-date via Automatic Updates
Free service from Microsoft
• Can be slow over dial-up
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Prevention
• Install anti-virus & anti-spyware programs
There are free and paid programs
• MS has free program - Defender
• These programs must be kept up-to-date, too
A bigger problem for dial-up
• Run regular scans
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Prevention - Firewall
• Windows comes with a firewall
As of XP Service Pack 2, it should be on by default
• External hardware firewalls also available - built-in to broadband?
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Prevention
• Be careful/suspicious of free software
If you’ve heard about it from a reputable source, should be OK
• If a program arrives via email - BAD
• Use Google to check for complaints about the software
• Use the name of program plus words like “spyware” or “virus”
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Alternative Software
• Microsoft Windows and applications are a big target for the bad guys
Firefox is a free web browser - safer than Internet Explorer
• Still needs updates
• Thunderbird is a free email program
• Macintosh - not impervious but less of a target and safer
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Online Fraud
• Much online fraud is the same as offline fraud
Topics include: get rich quick, government grants, IRS checks, false charities, stimulus checks, foreclosure prevention, debt consolidation
• If it sounds too good to be true...
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Online Fraud: Phishing
• Phishing typically refers to sending a fake email in order to collect personal information
Can even be a phone call - “vishing”
• A type of “social engineering”
Target information: bank account, PayPal, eBay, AOL
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Phishing Example
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Phishing Example
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Phishing Shut Down
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Phishing Example
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Number of New Phishing Sites
Anti-Phishing Working GroupAnti-Phishing Working GroupOctober 2006October 2006
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Why Does Phishing Work?
• Cheap: send millions of messages for very little cost - even small conversion rate pays
Hard to track: email is hard to trace back to senders, often hijacked computers
• Web site registrations are cheap and pretty anonymous
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How to Avoid Phishing
• Remember, your bank (or any other business) will never ask you for personal information - “just say no”
Do not enter any personal information on a web page after clicking on an email link
• Enter the web address yourself by hand
• Not a victim until you react to message
• Do not fill out forms within email messages
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Conclusion
• Keep your software up-to-date
Use anti-virus/spyware, up-to-date
• Vista should help
• Be suspicious of email asking for personal information
• Be aware of the “scam du jour”