Internet Security Do’s And Don’ts

Over the next couple of articles I will deal with the threats posed by internet pirates to you and your finances. Increasingly I am seeing more and more computers which have been hacked and the financial details of the owner stolen. In two recent cases over €1,000 had already been charged against the victim’s credit card before they became aware of the theft.
Basic Safeguards
I have always been a strong believer in the old adage “prevention is better than cure” and this is no where more true than in preventing your credit card details from being stolen on the internet. While some of the recommendations in this article require a degree of inconvenience to you I would suggest they are more than worth the effort.
How Your Computer Gets Hacked
Internet pirates rely on three primary methods to steal your financial details. In short these are as follows:
1. Installing software, commonly referred to as Trojans, which secretly scan your computer for your financial details and/or record your computer activity and send it to a remote computer. These Trojan programs are commonly hidden in illegal music, video, and software downloads and are also found embedded in certain websites.
2. Bogus emails posing as your bank or other financial institution requesting you update your account details, These scams usually include a full bogus website designed to look like your banks.
3. Bogus websites offering great deals which obtain your credit card details.
Hacker Software
Trojan software does not mysteriously land on your computer. It must be downloaded and allowed to install and for this reason it is rare for a properly protected computer to be successfully hacked. The following are the basic guidelines for maintaining your computer’s security.
Restrict Access To Your Computer
Most breaches of security are caused by individuals other than yourself using your computer to access websites which cater for illegal or adult activity. The current most common are websites providing illegal video and music downloads. If you want your computer to remain protected do not allow anyone to use your computer and ensure your computer is properly protected with a password known only to yourself. Even innocent use of your computer can result in an infection which will ultimately result in the security of the system being compromised. Multiple users on a computer are a bad idea as any one of the users can introduce spyware and or software which can compromise security. The rule of thumb is to guard your computer as you do your laser card which means no one should be allowed to use your computer! This rule is strict but it ensures the security of the system is under your control.
Install A Solid Anti-Virus Software Solution
Without fail many of the virus and spyware infected computers landing on my desk are protected by so called “free” anti-virus solutions or worse still anti-virus solutions bought on the recommendation of a salesperson. Much as you would like to believe it there is “no free lunch” when it comes to anti-virus software. You must ensure that your anti-virus software is up to date and working at all times. Even a minor slip in security will result in a virus or Trojan bypassing your security and infecting your machine. Seek professional advice in choosing your anti-virus software and where you suspect an infection immediately shutdown the computer, disconnect it from the internet and seek professional assistance.