A Timely Warning about Internet Threats
November 2009
The nature of threats posed by the Internet often changes.
Of course we have spam, but we’ve pretty much always had spam. Apart from the annoyance and wasted time, it is technically harmless and easy to delete. We also have viruses from email, downloads and interchangeable media, so we’ve become used to keeping our anti-virus software installed and up-to-date and can feel reasonably safe.
As Internet and email users we should now have got used to ignoring and deleting emails that tell us to log into our bank account for any reason, no matter how elaborate and realistic the message looks. We should also not be taking any notice of pop-up messages that say our PC is slow or infected.
However, there are other threats we need to be on our guard against but these take a bit more vigilance and thought. Let’s briefly look at some examples:
“Your consignment could not be delivered”
We received this email at Diamond Discovery the day after sending a parcel with a national carrier. It was pure coincidence and the attachments to this message were a .exe file and a .zip file; fortunately both removed by our anti-virus software. The attachments would have been detrimental in their nature.
“Your mailbox has been deactivated due to unusual activity”
This initially appears to be quite genuine, but it’s unlikely to have originated from your Email Provider without including their name, contact details and a suitable course of action. This follows the same pattern as the previous one, basically trying to get you to open an executable file to install Malware (malicious software) or viruses.
The general summary is that some email messages can look quite genuine and seem applicable, but the golden rule of ‘never open an attachment unless you trust the sender’ applies more than ever.
Now for something completely different: we all watch the television programmes that show us how not to get ripped off and how not to be too trusting. There are a number of scams that take people’s trust and lack of IT knowledge for a long, long ride.
“Hello, I’m from SupportOnClick.com … we’ve spotted a serious problem with your computer”
How they would possibly know that your PC has a problem is a mystery they explain away with ‘we work with many big companies and have access to the Microsoft Update feature’. Despite having a legitimate looking website (which we don’t suggest you visit), this is a scam. The purpose is to take money on a credit card, which ranges from £60 to £170, then gain access to your PC which allows them to install Malware for further gains.
If you get an unsolicited call regarding PC support it is worth being distrustful – a genuine PC support company will be understanding and not likely to press you into a decision saying the price is going to increase. Support On Click is not the only name used for this type of brazen scam, so vigilance is required.
Why is malware such a problem? It is an undesired program running on your PC that can carry out a host of things from reporting your activities to recording the keystrokes that look like credit card details.
For a full and comprehensive description of Malware, it’s worth reading the Wikipedia entry on the subject. Please take a look at the Malware article on Wikipedia.
In summary, there are many scams both online and on the high street that we need to guard against. We need to keep the balance so they don’t interfere with life and work, but by keeping an eye out and a healthy level of distrust, then we’ll spot these things before they become a problem. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends, peers and so on – a second opinion can be invaluable.
Return to category: Newsletter: Brilliant News - November 2009