Though experiences of surfing the web I have made some good discoveries and some bad ones.

 

One bad one that I see time and again is miss-spelt web address which leads to an undesirable web site where a hacker or porn peddler is lying in wait to accost us or worse steals our information. Now I am not perfect and I am a horrible speller, thank you who ever, made "Spell Check" but from my experiences, spelling is very important to be proficient in if you are going to manually type in web addresses!

 For example

BBC News Wrote:

 A Home Office radio commercial publicizing a child protection website has been banned because it could have led people to pornographic material.

a listener who miss-spelt the address found a series of links led her to adult porn websites.

The advert said: "Giving out personal info could let a pedophile track you down. Be smart online, be safe online."

But instead of typing 'u' in the web address, the woman wrote 'you', taking her to a different website.

Read more http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5277012.stm

 

I have fallen into this trap many time and became so angered at my self that I made myself a list rules to follow and now I am passing on to all who want to be safer on the internet. 

Due Diligence’s: Web Address Rules to Stay Safe.

 

1.       Have the exact web address before you type it into your web browser

2.       If you don't know the exact web addresses do not guess it.

3.       Use a well know search engine (www.google.com) to search for the proper address.

4.       Read the listed description in search engine of the search results. The description will tell what is on the site and supply a link to the web. Always read the link address if your not sure of the site legitimate; yes even hackers sites make it into goggle! If it is a well know website the address should be simple and straight forward. I.e. www.mircrosoft.com

5.       http://www.ask.com has a new feature where you can preview the web site before you click on to see if it the site you want. http://www.ask.com/web?q=microsoft&qsrc=0&o=333&l=dir just hover your mouse over the icon of the binocular below the description to preview.

 

Computer Password Safety

Protect Your Passwords and Protect Your Computer from Hackers

By Linda M. McCloud

You probably know by now that you don't have to be a genius to use a computer. They aren't as complicated as we once fear. That being said there is one thing that still remains true about computer use. It is easy for a hacker to get inside our files and steal or corrupt our systems. Yet, you don't have to be fearful. You just need to take some simple steps to make sure your computer is safe from corruption.

First, think about the passwords you use. You use passwords all over the internet from opening your email to opening different web pages. Most of us always use the same password for everything. But is your password unique? Here is a sampling of the most popular passwords according to a British website called Modern Life is Rubbish: News & Views of the Modern Interweb. What should you do if your password is on the list? Change is immediately.

1. 123.

2. PASSWORD. No, it isn't clever. The survey said about 1 in 250 people uses the word password as their password.

3. Liverpool. Remember this was a British survey. So if you live in Columbus, don't use Columbus as your password. On the same line, do not use the name of your local or state sports teams. It is just too obvious.

4. Letmein. Say it out loud. Let me in. Funny? Maybe. But not original.

5. 123456. It's too obvious. If you want to do numbers, don't do them in order.

6. qwerty. Look down at your keyboard. Its the six letters on the top row, below your numbers. Everyone has the same looking keyboard.

7. Charlie. Never choose a name of a close love one, your husband, wife, child, mother or anyone really close. If someone who knows you tries to hack into your computer, or someone who all ready has a short profile on you, it would be easy to guess.

8. Monkey. Why is this popular? It just seems to pop into everyone's head.

9. Arsenal. Again, this is a popular British password. It stands for a popular soccer team. In the US, this would go for Giants, Cowboys, any popular sports team, especially the popular ones in the area where you live.

10. Thomas. This is another popular name that keeps being used. Again, don't use names of close love ones (this means your pets, too) or even their birth dates or your anniversary. This would be too obvious to people who know you. 

So what should you choose as your password? Something you can remember. Something that is unique. A password with numbers and letters is a good way to go, especially a combination of 6 to 8 characters. You may even want to change your passwords every few months, just to make sure your security is even stronger.

You should also always have a built in security system installed and turned on each time you go online (Norton Anti-virus is a good one), especially if you allow windows to remember your passwords.

McAfee SiteAdvisor Issues Quiz, Challenge: Can You Spot the Sites That Spam?

Fail the Quiz and Be Inundated With Spammy E-mail

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ McAfee, Inc. (NYSE: MFE), the global leader in intrusion prevention and security risk management, today issued an online quiz along with a challenge to Web users: "Can you spot sites that cause spam?" The 8-question quiz presents consumers with pairs of Web sites and asks them to judge which of the two sites is likely to guard their e-mail address. The stakes for failing are high: When McAfee registered at each of the unsafe sites in the eight pairs, it received more than 2,500 e-mails each week.

The quiz  "McAfee SiteAdvisor Spam Quizuses data from McAfee® SiteAdvisor^TM" which has pioneered Web safety by testing and rating, on an ongoing basis, nearly every trafficked site on the Internet. The examples in the quiz are taken from more than 6.4 million Web sites which McAfee SiteAdvisor has independently tested and rated for Web safety issues including spyware, viruses, exploits, online scams, and of course, spam. McAfee SiteAdvisor tests a Web site's e-mail practices by registering with a unique, one-time-use e-mail address. The pairs of sites used in the quiz come from common categories including free games, e-cards, online sweepstakes, credit cards, scholarships, online dating, jokes and petitions.

Registering on the eight sites flagged as unsafe resulted in 2,697 e-mails per week in McAfee SiteAdvisor's test inboxes. That's 140,244 e-mails per year. Signing up at the worst e-mailer offender in the quiz resulted in 1,075 e-mails per week. The vast majority of e-mails received contained highly commercial content from third parties.

"This quiz was designed to deliver two very important messages. The first is that spam remains a significant problem. A single bad decision can render an e-mail address all but unusable," said Chris Dixon, Director of Product Strategy. "The second is that on the Web today, there is almost always a safe alternative for popular activities. The extra information provided by McAfee SiteAdvisor's test results can help users make smarter click decisions."

The quiz is available at http://www.mcafee.com/spamquiz.

McAfee SiteAdvisor software, which is available as a free download at http://us.mcafee.com, clearly identifies potentially dangerous sites that have engaged in "social engineering" attacks such as spyware, adware, spam, browser attacks and online scams. The easy-to-use software summarizes these findings with intuitive red, yellow and green icons that empower online users to decide what to browse and what to avoid.

About McAfee, Inc.

McAfee, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California and the global leader in Intrusion Prevention and Security Risk Management, delivers proactive and proven solutions and services that secure systems and networks around the world. With its unmatched security expertise and commitment to innovation, McAfee empowers home users, businesses, the public sector, and service providers with the ability to block attacks, prevent disruptions, and continuously track and improve their security.www.mcafee.com

NOTE: McAfee is a registered trademark of McAfee, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. McAfee Red in connection with security is distinctive of McAfee brand products. All other registered and unregistered trademarks herein are the sole property of their respective owners.

SOURCE McAfee, Inc.

Melissa Rehon: The birds, the bees, the blogs

01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, August 17, 2006

It's time for parents to sit down and have "the talk" with their teens. No, not that talk -- I'm referring to the one in which parents and other guardians teach their kids to be safer online. The kids need to hear -- from you -- the rules about not talking to strangers or revealing personal information online.

Don't think you can make a difference? A recent Teen Survey by Cox Communications, in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, found that when parents and other guardians talked to their teens about Internet safety, the teens' exposure to potential threats declined and they made safer online decisions.

Fewer teens whose parents or other guardians have talked to them "a lot" about online safety have an instant-messaging (IM) name or pictures of themselves on the Internet, compared with teens who have not had this talk. And more teens who've had this talk than those who haven't ignore messages from unfamiliar people, refuse to reply or chat, block unknown senders, and report such attempted contacts to adults.

We discussed these statistics and many more during Cox's Teen Summit on Internet Safety, held in June, in Washington. I was one of 10 teen delegates sent to the summit.

Here's my advice for parents and other guardians about having "the talk." Don't overreact. Your children need to feel they can tell you when they receive an unsolicited message, or if someone makes them feel uncomfortable while online. Seventy percent of teens receive unsolicited e-mails and other messages, but only one in five will tell his or her parents or other guardians.

Why? We agreed that teens don't tell because they're embarrassed by the message they received, and afraid they will be blamed for it. Have "the talk," hold your kids accountable, but stay calm, to keep the lines of communication open.

With almost half of 16- and 17-year-olds reporting that their parents or other guardians know "very little" or "nothing" about their online activities, there are millions of unplugged, uninformed parental figures. But that can change if the adults take precautions such as talking to their kids and visiting www.Cox.com/TakeCharge, for online-safety tools, tips and a glossary of Internet chat lingo.

Have "the talk" today. The survey found that 30 percent of teens are considering a face-to-face meeting with a person they met online. Fourteen percent of teens have already had such a meeting. Do your part to prevent this from continuing to happen.

Melissa Rehon, a 2006 graduate of Warwick's Pilgrim High School, was selected by Cox Communications as one of 10 teenagers nationwide to attend the recent Teen Summit, in Washington, addressing the ways, good and bad, that adolescents use the Internet. This fall she will attend Brigham Young University.

iSAFETY BASICS: VIRUSES AND WORMS

What are they?
Malicious small programs that easily replicate themselves, infect your computer, and often spread to others’ computers via email attachments or network traffic.

What risks are involved?
Virus programs can delete files, format disks, attack other computers or just make your system run slowly. They can also create a “back door” that allows a hacker to run programs on your computer or to gain access to your files.

How do I know if I have a computer virus?
A computer infected with a virus may suddenly act in unexpected ways. For example, it may take longer to access files or to start up programs, or it may lock up often. You may also notice uncommon sounds being played from your speakers, a variety of images popping up on the screen, or problems starting your computer. These are all signs that your computer could be infected with a virus.

What can I do to protect myself?

• Install anti-virus software on your computer and run daily updates. You view a list of Microsoft, recommended Antivirus vendors.
• Pick up “patches” at your operating system’s Web site to keep your computer fortified against possible attack.
• Mac users: http://www.apple.com/support.
• Windows users: http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp.
• Visit House-Call by Trends Micro page to scan your computer for the virus infections and other critical security risks. PC health-check
• Reduce potential harm of a virus or worm infection by frequently backing up all of your files.
• Since 87% of viruses originate and are transmitted via email, do not open email attachments with suspicious subject lines, file names, or messages. Some viruses can forge themselves to appear as if they are from someone you know, therefore, the “from” line alone cannot be trusted.
• Be aware that viruses may come to you in links sent via Instant Messaging, email attachments, infected disks, freeware, shareware, or file-sharing.

Support

Here at iSafety we can Tutor and repair online through “RA” or if you are live local to Kingston, Ontario we can show you in person though our partner, RBS (Robert Bidgood Services).  Contact email or 613-320-5010

iSAFETY BASICS: ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE

What is it?
Anti-virus software protects email, instant messages, and other files by removing viruses and worms. Anti-virus software downloads new virus protection updates to protect against new threats. It also quarantines infected files to keep a virus from spreading on your computer and can repair infected files so you can use them without fear of damaging your computer or spreading a virus to others.

What risks are involved?
If your computer isn’t fortified against the most recent viruses, you leave your system wide open for every bug, worm, and virus floating around the Internet. These debilitating bugs and viruses can cause your computer to malfunction. They may also make your computer and information on the computer vulnerable to identity thieves and hackers.

What can I do to protect myself?
Install anti-virus software on your computer and run daily updates.

How do I know if I have anti-virus software on my computer?
A computer with a properly installed anti-virus software will generally prompt you to update the program every once and a while. If your computer doesn’t ask you to update virus definitions, you may not have virus software properly installed. Some of the most common antivirus packages include: Symantec, McAfee, and Trend Micro. You can search your computer for these names by clicking “Start” and pointing to “Search.”

Support

Here at iSafety we can Tutor and repair online through “RA” or if you are live local to Kingston, Ontario we can show you in person though our partner, RBS (Robert Bidgood Services).  Contact email or 613-320-5010

iSAFETY BASICS: SOFTWARE PATCH UPDATES

What is it?
Patches are updates that “fix” an inherent flaw in your operating system, the basic program that runs your computer such as Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Macintosh OS X. Patches are released on an as-needed basis from your operating system vendor (such as Microsoft or Apple) and should be installed as soon as they are available.

What risks are involved?
If your operating system goes unpatched, it leaves your computer vulnerable to hackers as well as worms and viruses.

What can I do to protect myself?

• Windows users can set their computers to download operating system updates on a regular basis. Look in your Control Panel and find System or Automatic Updates. You can also find Windows updates in the Tools menu in Internet Explorer, or by visiting Microsoft's Web site at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/.
• Although updates are required less frequently on Macs than on Windows, Mac users should still regularly update their computers. Mac OS X users can consult the "software update" pane in the System Preferences utility to manually or automatically schedule updates.

Support

Here at iSafety we can Tutor and repair online through “RA” or if you are live local to Kingston, Ontario we can show you in person though our partner, RBS (Robert Bidgood Services).  Contact email or 613-320-5010

iSAFETY BASICS: SPYWARE

What is it?
Spyware is software that gathers information about your Web-surfing habits for marketing purposes. Spyware “piggybacks” on programs you choose to download. Tucked away in the fine print of user agreements for many “free” downloads and services is a stipulation that the company will use spyware to monitor your web habits for business research purposes.

What risks are involved?
Spyware takes up memory and space on your computer. It can slow down your machine, transmit information without your knowledge, and lead to general computer malfunction. One of the most widely-used Web browsers, Internet Explorer is especially susceptible to spyware-related problems. You may choose to keep certain spyware programs on your computer in exchange for the free services that accompany them, but you should be aware of how that might affect your computer.

What can I do to protect myself?

• Instead of Internet Explorer, try using Mozilla Firefox.
• Closely read user agreements for free programs before clicking, “I accept.” Watch for allusions to spyware and adware in user agreements.
• Regularly scan your computer with an anti-spyware program.

Support

Here at iSafety we can Tutor and repair online through “RA” or if you are live local to Kingston, Ontario we can show you in person though our partner, RBS (Robert Bidgood Services).  Contact email or 613-320-5010

iSAFETY BASICS: ADWARE

What is it?
Adware is a component in software applications that displays ads while the program is running. For example, adware is included with web-based email programs that give you free email in exchange for viewing ads. Adware “piggybacks” on programs you download from the Internet. Be aware that the fine print of user agreements for many “free” downloads and services usually states that the company will use adware to post advertisements on your computer. When you accept the agreement, you accept those terms.

What risks are involved?
Adware takes up memory and space on your computer. It can slow down your machine, transmit information without your knowledge, and lead to general computer malfunction. You may choose to keep certain adware programs on your computer in exchange for the free services that accompany them, but you should be aware of how that might affect your computer.

What can I do to protect myself?

• Closely read user agreements for free programs before clicking, “I accept.” Watch for allusions to adware in user agreements.
• Regularly scan your computer with an anti-adware program.

 

Support

Here at iSafety we can Tutor and repair online through “RA” or if you are live local to Kingston, Ontario we can show you in person though our partner, RBS (Robert Bidgood Services).  Contact email or 613-320-5010

iSAFETY BASICS: ANTI-SPYWARE

What is it?
Anti-spyware is software that can detect and remove spyware from your computer. Spyware programs often “piggyback” on programs you choose to download “free” from the Web. You may have numerous such programs on your computer and not be aware of it. Anti-spyware scans your computer and shows you how many spyware programs you have downloaded. You can then choose to delete these programs or keep them on your computer.

What risks are involved?
If you do not use an anti-spyware program, you may never know if you have spyware on your computer. Left unchecked, these programs can cause a number of problems, including slow processing of your computer, malfunction of a certain program, and use of your internet connection when you’re not online.

What can I do to protect myself?

• PC users can download Spybot Search and Destroy, available for free at http://www.safer-networking.org.
• Windows offer a free program called Windows Defender (Beta 2) is a free program that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software. It features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected, and a new streamlined interface that minimizes interruptions and helps you stay productive.
• Anti-spyware tools for Macintosh computers are available, although spyware programs have been uncommon for Mac users. One such resource is Allume Systems, available at www.allume.com.

Support

Here at iSafety we can Tutor and repair online through “RA” or if you are live local to Kingston, Ontario we can show you in person though our partner, RBS (Robert Bidgood Services).  Contact email or 613-320-5010

iSAFETY BASICS: ANTI-ADWARE

What is it?
Anti-adware is software that can detect and remove adware from your computer. Adware programs often “piggyback” on programs you choose to download “free” from the Web. You may have numerous such programs on your computer and not be aware of it. Anti-adware scans your computer and shows you how many adware programs you have downloaded. You can then choose to delete these programs or keep them on your computer.

What risks are involved?
If you do not use anti-adware programs, you may never know if you have adware on your computer. Left unchecked, these programs can cause a number of problems, including slow processing of your computer, malfunction of certain programs, and use of your internet connection when you’re not online.

What can I do to protect myself?

• PC users can download the free anti-adware program Ad-aware at www.lavasoftusa.com.
• See Anti-Spyware for related information and resources.

Support

Here at iSafety we can Tutor and repair online through “RA” or if you are live local to Kingston, Ontario we can show you in person though our partner, RBS (Robert Bidgood Services).  Contact email or 613-320-5010

iSAFETY BASICS: IDENTITY THEFT

What is identity theft?

Identity theft occurs when personal information is obtained by unauthorized individuals who then use that information to commit a crime such as fraud or theft.

Who is at risk for identity theft?
Everyone. Careful management of personal information, identification, and passwords can help minimize your risk.

What are the risks?
Victims of identity theft often have to spend time and money cleaning up their personal and financial records. In the meantime, they may be refused loans, housing or cars, or even get arrested for crimes they didn’t commit.

What can you do to protect your identity
1. Watch for shoulder-surfers. When entering a PIN number or a credit card number in an ATM machine, at a phone booth, or even on a computer at work, be aware of who is nearby and make sure nobody is peering over your shoulder to make a note of the keys you’re pressing.

2. Require photo ID verification. Rather than signing the backs of your credit cards, you can write “See Photo ID”. In many cases, store clerks don’t even look at the signature block on the credit card, and a thief could just as easily use your credit card to make online or telephone purchases which don’t require signature verification, but for those rare cases where they do actually verify the signature, you may get some added security by directing them to also make sure you match the picture on the photo ID.

3. Shred everything. One of the ways that would-be identity thieves acquire information is through “dumpster-diving”, aka trash-picking. If you are throwing out bills and credit card statements, old credit card or ATM receipts, medical statements or even junk-mail solicitations for credit cards and mortgages, you may be leaving too much information laying about. Buy a personal shredder and shred all papers with PII on them before disposing of them.

4. Destroy digital data. When you sell, trade or otherwise dispose of a computer system, or a hard drive, or even a recordable CD, DVD or backup tape, you need to take extra steps to ensure the data is completely, utterly and irrevocably destroyed. Simply deleting the data or reformatting the hard drive is nowhere near enough. Anyone with a little tech skill can undelete files or recover data from a formatted drive. Use a product like ShredXP to make sure that data on hard drives is completely destroyed. For CD, DVD or tape media you should physically destroy it by breaking or shattering it before disposing of it. There are shredders designed specifically to shred CD / DVD media.

5. Be diligent about checking statements. This actually has two benefits. First, if you are diligent about checking your bank and credit statements each month, you will be aware if one of them doesn’t arrive and that can alert you that perhaps someone stole it from your mailbox or while it was in transit. Second, you can ensure that the charges, purchases or other entries on the statement are legitimate and match up with your records so that you can quickly identify and address any suspicious activity.

6. Pay your bills at the post office. Never leave your paid bills in your mailbox to be sent out. A thief who raids your mailbox would be able to acquire a slew of critical information in one envelope- your name, address, credit account number, your bank information including the routing number and account number from the bottom of the check, and a copy of your signature from your check for forgery purposes just for starters.

Drop your bills at the post office or at least in an official U.S. Postal Service drop box to ensure that doesn’t happen.

7. Limit the information on your checks. It may be convenient to have your drivers license number or social security number imprinted on your personal checks to save some time when you write one, but if it falls into the wrong hands it reveals too much information. In fact, some recommend that you only include your first initial in the name space of your check, such as “T. Bradley” rather than writing out “Tony Bradley” so that if someone did get one of your checks they would not know your full name.

8. Analyze your credit report annually. This has always been good advice, but it used to cost money, or you had to first be rejected from receiving credit so that you could get a free copy. Now it is possible to get a free look at your credit report once per year. The big three credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) joined forces to provide free credit reports to consumers. The web site, annualcreditreport.com, is currently available for the Western and Mid-Western states, with the Southern and Eastern states being rolled out later this year. You should review it to make sure the information on it is accurate and also make sure that there aren’t any accounts on there that you aren’t aware of or any other suspicious entries or activity.

9. Protect your Social Security number. I don’t personally believe in Social Security or any attempts to repair or reform it. I have no illusions that it will actually be around to pay me when I retire. But, whether that comes to pass or not, the Social Security Number has become the one thing they had always promised it wouldn’t- a sort of national identification number. It is often suggested that you do not carry your Social Security in your wallet with your drivers license and other identification. For one thing, although they expect it to last your whole life, the Social Security card is issued on very flimsy cardboard that doesn’t hold up well to wear and tear. Aside from that though, knowing your full name, address and full Social Security Number, or even the last 4 digits in many cases, can let a thief assume your identity. You should never use your Social Security Number as any part of a username or password that you establish and you should never divulge it to telephone solicitors or in response to spam or phishing scam emails either.

10. Caveat Emptor. I will offer my apologies in advance, and I mean no offense to smaller businesses just building themselves up or getting established, but I recommend you not do business online with companies you don’t know anything about. You can feel relatively secure doing business online with Amazon.com or BestBuy.com or any web site affiliated with well-known, national or global merchants. But, if you are buying something online you need to have some level of trust that the company you are doing business with is legitimate and that they take the security of your personal information as seriously as you do. When you do make online purchases, read the companies online privacy policy first to ensure you agree with it and make sure you are on a secure or encrypted web site (symbolized by a small padlock at the bottom right of the screen in Internet Explorer).

 

iSAFETY BASICS: PHISHING

What is it?
The term “phishing” (pronounced “fishing”) refers to a form of fraud that uses email messages that appear to be from a reputable business (often a financial institution) in an attempt to gain personal or account information. The email message typically includes a link to a fake Web site that appears identical to a legitimate page. The fake Web page is used to collect the requested information. This information is then used for fraudulent purposes.

Recently, phishing tactics have been used to obtain money and information from individuals wishing to donate to disaster relief funds. When making donations, please contact reputable relief organizations directly to prevent fraudulent use of your donations and/or personal information.

What risks are involved?
Once personal or account information is obtained, “phishers” may access your bank or credit card accounts, open new accounts in your name, or cash counterfeit checks on your account. For more information, see Identity Theft.

What can I do to protect myself?

• Be suspicious of messages requesting personal or account information.
• Be suspicious of messages threatening to close or suspend your account on short notice.
• Do not click on links in email messages. The text you see as the link may not be where the link takes you. Instead, type the Web page address in your browser.
• Check the authenticity of email messages by calling a company phone number known to be genuine.
• File a complaint with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center.
• See the Cyber-Safety Basics for information about protecting yourself and your computer from threats like phishing scams.

Examples of Phishing Scam Email Messages and Web Sites

• AOL – Verify your account
• eBay – Update or verify your account information’s
• Visa – Notice from VISA
• Washington Mutual – WARNING: CONFIRM YOUR ONLINE BANKING ACCOUNT

i-SAFETY BASICS: SPAM

What is spam?
Unsolicited commercial email (from legitimate or illegitimate sources), recognizable by its suspicious subject lines and unexpected or unknown sender.

What risks are involved?
For the most part, spam is an annoyance. Spam often contains questionable content and may include attachments that contain viruses.

How can I reduce the amount of spam I receive?

• Set up  spam filtering.
• Set up filtering in your email client (Outlook, Eudora).
• Set up Allow/Deny lists.
• DO NOT respond directly to the mail. Generally, doing so merely verifies your address.
• As recourse, send a complaint to the sender's Internet Service Provider, the postmaster at the sending site, and each site that relayed the mail.
• When drafting complaints, make sure you have the sender’s email IP address from the email header. Read this how to for more info

What are allow and deny lists?

 

Allow and deny lists are enhancements to your email spam filtering service. Most ISP provides this service as part of there package including Hotmail, AOL and etc. Email recipients who have opted in to this service can customize it by creating allow and deny lists. All email originating from addresses on an individual’s “deny” list is prevented from reaching that individual’s inbox. All email originating from addresses on the individual’s “allow” list is permitted to reach that individual’s inbox, even if it would otherwise have been marked as spam and filtered away from the inbox.

 

Why implement Allow/Deny Lists?

• Allow and deny lists permit individuals to specify addresses from which they do or do not want to receive email.
• No single spam filtering measure filters 100% of spam. Allow and deny lists add an extra layer of protection against spam.

Legitimate email messages from news lists or subscriptions to professional online magazines or other publications may be filtered as spam (a “false positive’). By placing the sender’s email address on their allow lists, recipients of these types of messages ensure that they will not be filtered as spam

iSAFETY: IRC Bots

What is it?
IRC is short for Internet Relay Chat. IRC appears most popularly in software such as AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, and ICQ.

A bot, or robot, is automated software set to perform certain functions. Many programs feature bots, which are not always malicious programs. An example of a peaceful IRC bot is a digital chat room moderator that boots and bans users who flood the channel with spam. Over the years, however, many malicious IRC bots have integrated themselves into popular programs and are proving to be a growing security risk.

What risks are involved?
Some IRC bots are used to log the text of channel or instant message chats. If a malicious bot serves this function, it could be recording everything you type. Should you mention sensitive information such as credit card or bank account numbers, you are at risk for identity theft.

A bot can also create a backdoor on your computer, giving hackers quick access to your system. A hacker could then search your files for important information, or use your computer to commit digital crimes - such as hacking into a more important computer system - that will be traced back to you.

What can I do to protect myself?
Malicious bots tend to be both partnered with unofficial modifications to the IRC and integrated into spyware applications. To avoid these bots, never download an unofficial addition to a legitimate program and be sure to:

• Run an anti-spyware program on a weekly basis
• Virus scan all files on a weekly basis
• Download and install the latest operating system patches
• Enable Windows Firewall and/or purchase a third party firewall program

How do I know if I have an IRC bot on my computer?
Some bots do not have a visual impact on your computer, so you may not notice their presence. Others may slow your computer or show symptoms similar to those of spyware and viruses.

The CERT-In: Indian Computer Emergency Response Team site explains the functions of an IRC bot in detail and lists a technique to help Windows users locate IRC bots that may be running on their systems.

For more information about IRC bots that open backdoors on systems, including symptoms and methods of removing the bot, visit http://www.winmasterlock.com/listings/i/ircbackd.htm.

Securityspace.com offers a free malicious IRC bot vulnerability test for registered users (registration is also free) at http://www.securityspace.com/smysecure/catid.html?id=14841.

 

iSAFETY BASICS: DATA BACKUPS

What is it?
To back up your files, simply create a second copy of your important documents somewhere other than your computer’s hard drive.

What risks are involved?
If you don’t back up your data, you run the risk of losing it. Your files could disappear due to a virus, computer crash, accidental keystroke, theft, or external disaster.

What can I do to protect myself?

• Back up critical and essential files on a daily basis and non-critical files on a weekly or monthly basis. You can back up your data to a CD, to an online back up service (for a small monthly fee), flash drive, USB key, or to a server, if you can get access to one from your Internet Service Provider or commercial vendor. Some companies offer automatic backups when you purchase their programs.
• Keep all your critical files in one place so you can easily create a duplicate copy.
• Store your backup media (CDs, disks, backup server, etc.) in a safe and secure place away from your computer, in case of fire or theft.
• Periodically test the capability to restore from the backup media. It’s of little value to have a backup that is unreadable. To ensure that your backup files are reliable, simply upload the files to your computer.

What Can iSafety do to protect me?

 

• Here at iSafety we can Tutor online through “RA” or if you are local to Kingston, Ontario we can show you in person though our partner, RBS (Robert Bidgood Services).  Contact email or 613-320-5010

iSAFETY BASICS: EMAIL ATTACHMENTS

What is it?
A virtual package sent via email, usually a Word document from a colleague, or a photo from a friend.

What risks are involved?
Sometimes the attachment isn’t so friendly: could be a document that, upon opening, loads a virus onto your hard drive. Some infected attachments could bring your whole system down by causing a hard-drive crash; others could open a port for hackers to invade your system. Others are designed to gnaw their way into flaws in your operating system. Some viruses are so smart that they attach themselves to emails from people you know and trust, tricking you into thinking the attachment is safe.

What can I do to protect myself?

• Install anti-virus software on your computer and update it daily. It will catch a majority of infected attachments.
• Do not temporarily disable anti-virus software on your computer – it’s too easy to forget to re-enable the software.
• Keep your computer updated with the current security patches as infected email attachments may attempt to exploit program vulnerabilities.
• Just don’t open attachments unless you are certain of the sender AND the contents of the attachment.

What Can iSafety do to protect me?

• Here at iSafety we can Tutor online through “RA” or if you are local to Kingston, Ontario we can show you in person though our partner, RBS (Robert Bidgood Services).  Contact email or 613-320-5010