Put your Defenses up!!

I have recently learned a lot about viruses and the affect they can have on your computer.  There are a lot of malicious viruses out there and if they get into your computer they can really do a lot of damage, some that can never be repaired.  It is very important to have the proper defenses in place to help protect your computer from getting any of these viruses.  In some cases, like a botnet and/or zombie you may not even realize that your computer has been compromised and this can be dangerous because your computer can be used to commit illegal activity and these hackers can gain access to your personal information.  Now that I am aware of all these viruses, what they look like and how dangerous they can be I will be sure my computer has up to date software and antivirus software installed.  At work and home I do not open or download anything in emails from sources I don’t know.

Prevention Methods

Also to prevent your computer from getting any viruses do not open/download any attachment’s in emails that you are not 100% sure of the source. If there’s a link within the email it is better to type the URL in the browser yourself instead of clicking on the link.  If you open/click on attachments or links they can contain a virus that will then download to your computer and wreak havoc.  Be very careful downloading anything from the internet as well, some of those programs are really nasty viruses not the program you really think it is.  Never click on any pop-ups advising you that your computer is infected with a virus either, go to your own anti-virus program to figure that out, those pop-ups are often viruses as well. Check out this quick video about fake anti virus programs. 

  

You can use a pop-up blocker to block these unwanted ads from bothering you! Make sure that your computer has an up to date version of some type of anti-virus program as well as firewall protection, even though the program may not catch everything it will catch a lot more than having no program at all! Here  are some tips for keeping your computer safe!

What I use 

To keep my personal computer safe I use Windows Defender, this

 is what mine looks like http://screencast.com/t/374rEJeH.  This program came installed on the computer when I bought it so I decided to use it instead of purchasing a new one.  This program will notify you if any potentially harmful software tries to run or download to your computer.  It will also remove any items that it finds harmful.  There are options to do hard scans or a quick scan with the click of a button, there's a section where you can see the history of things that were detected and  there's a settings area where you can choose how this program will behave for you.  It also performs automatic definition updates so it will keep up to date on the latest unwanted software on your computer.  So far I am very happy with this program.
In addition I use a program called CCleaner. This program helps to keep my computer free of old junk and it also gets rid of temporary internet files and clears out the browsing history which helps to protect your personal information.  Here is what mine looks like after I ran it, all those files are things that can be removed a bunch of them are cookies. Just like with the other program there are options you can choose from depending on your preference.  I use the free version but if you want to pay for it then you will there will be even more features available to you but for me the free version works just fine.

System Restore

If for some reason you do get some type of virus and you just cant get it of your computer, you may need to do a system restore. All systems restore settings are different you just have to find yours and figure out how to use it.  Here's what mine looks like:

I have Windows 8 on my computer so in order to get to the system restore you need to go to the control panel from the start menu.  From the control panel you can click on recovery and then it will bring up a couple options You will want to click on open system restore, from there you can chose recommended or choose a different date which you know your computer was in a good state on.  Basically you just follow the instructions (click next, next and so on)from there.  I have personally never done a factory reset on my computer but I just looked around and was able to find the recovery section.  Here is a website that can walk you through how to do it as well.

Don't Get Hooked!

I have learned a lot about the different ways in which online victimization happens.  There are many ways in which predators are able to lure people into their traps and we don't even realize it's happening until it's too late.  Some of the ways in which scammers get us are phishing, vishing, smishing, pharming and spamming.  Here is a short video from class that briefly explains vishing and smishing if you are not familiar with them.  Until now I didn't realize I myself have been a victim of online scams, luckily my experiences have not really had any bad consequences.



In this last module we learned about something called vishing .A couple months ago after our income taxes were due I received  phone call from a number I didn't recognize so I didn't answer it. They left a voicemail saying they were the IRS and there was something wrong with my taxes and I needed to call them to verify some information.  I though this was weird because we had already filed and received our tax return but I figured maybe they found something after the fact.  I called the number back and when the person who answered said "Hello?" the red flag came up.  If this was the IRS they would not be answering the phone with hello, it would probably be more professional then that or maybe even start with an automated system.  I could also hear people chatting in the background so I hung up realizing it was not legit.  Luckily I realized it and didn't give out any information because that could have been very bad for me.  I am willing to bet many people don't realize it and give out there personal information and just like that they have become a victim.

Smishing is another way in which predators try to lure people into giving away their personal information.  I had never heard of this term until I learned about it in class.  It just happens that I have received text messages saying I have been approved or won something and these messages have web links in them and they want you to click the link.  This is dangerous because if you click on that link it could take you to a fake webpage that can then load a virus on your computer.  Here is a personal example of a recent text message I  received:

I did not apply for a personal loan and this web link does not look official at all.  If I had applied and been approved the loan company would not be notifying me via text message.  Don't be tricked into clicking on these links, there could be someone lurking behind that link! This is an interesting article about smishing and how it's on the rise because of the amount of cell phones users.  It also has some tips on how protect yourself.

The above are just a couple personal examples of ways in which I could have had my identity stolen, I was lucky and didn't have any consequences from these examples. However this is not the case for a lot of people who do end up with painful consequences for clicking on these links or giving personal information out over the phone.  Here is a story of a woman who lost everything because she fell for a vishing attack.  The consequences from these kinds of attacks can ruin your finances, your reputation and even cost you your job!  Be aware and be cautious of any emails, text messages, phone calls and voicemail's from people you don't know! If you think it may be legitimate proceed with caution and take all the right steps to be sure it's legitimate and use your common sense!

 

Don't get hooked! Here are a couple websites to help you keep you personal information safe:

Phishing - http://www.identitytheftkiller.com/prevent-phishing-scams.php

Vishing - http://www.voipits.com/blog/features/learn-to-recognize-and-prevent-vishing

Smishing - http://netsecurity.about.com/od/secureyouremail/a/Protect-Yourself-From-Smishing-Attacks.htm