It's not just good cheer that spreads during the festive season. Also extending their tentacles are a plethora of computer viruses even as e-greeting cards sly about cyberspace. The year 2004 saw as many as 30 virus outbreaks. There has also been an exponential growth of spam, or unsolicited junk e-mail, and viruses that debilitate your computers during the past year.
Here are ten tips for better security and to keep your machine safe from viruses and worms during this holiday season:
1. Make sure that your computer is installed with the latest anti-virus software such as Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security 2005. Other anti-virus specialists like Micro World, Symantec, Computer Associates, Sophos (Satcom), McAfee, Netscreen, Prime Infotec, GajShield Infotech and Websense also provide security solutions.
Old software does not provide anti-spyware/adware, anti-phishing, and vulnerability assessment or wireless intrusion detection.
2. Apply all the latest critical security patches from your computer operating system and/or application vendor so as not to be exploited by threats from Network viruses.
Vulnerable computers are known to allow exploit by a bug in Microsoft's GDI+ library which allows malicious code to be run simply by viewing a JPEG image. This can turn the PC into a zombie under the control from the remote user.
3. Data is the only irreplaceable part of your computer system. For those going on a long holiday, you are advised to download the latest security pattern files, perform a full system scan before backing up their important data on CD.
4. Unless it is absolutely necessary, you are advised not to leave your computer and/or your wireless access point on and logged into the Internet while you are away on holiday. Not only does it consume electricity, it exposes itself to the world of hackers and new network worms seeking its prey.
5. With regular pattern files being released to block the latest threats, upon your return from holiday, you are strongly advised to first of all download and update the latest pattern file before conducting any Internet activity or starting the email.
6. Greetings, giving and sharing are customary during any festive season. However, don't be trigger-happy to open any incoming e-mail, even if they come from known senders such as close relatives and friends.
Be particularly cautious of e-mails that come in the form of greeting cards, contain photos, free software or too-good-to-be-true offers. Most of these are spam e-mails and they can use fake e-mail ID or familiar name harvested from your or your friend's address book via other means.
7. Even if the e-mail is true and the attached software is scanned free from virus, precaution must be taken by reading carefully the end-user licence agreement (EULA) to ensure that it will not subject your computer to spyware or adware.
In any case, if there is any browser pop-up that won't go away, homepage being changed without your authorisation, noticeable slowing down or intermittent hanging of the computer, unusual high Internet traffic although there was no surfing or file transfer activity, it is most likely that your computer is infected with spyware or adware.
Check your security software to ensure that it can rid spyware and adware, after which you should scan your whole computer to remove them.
8. If you receive any e-mail from a bank, an online merchant, et cetera asking you to input sensitive information such as credit information, ATM pin, password, etc; it is quite likely a phishing scam.
Ensure that your security software's anti-phishing feature is turned on. Do not click on any of the URL or picture or reply to the address. Delete the mail and if need be, contact the bank or online merchant for clarification.
9. If you want to buy gifts online, use known trusted web sites. Responsible and respectable online merchants will implement secure connection, clear and easy-to-read user agreement, and minimum personal information requirement to complete the transaction as well as privacy assurance.
10. Finally, make a personal commitment to go through this checklist periodically to stay protected.
The author is country head, Trend Micro India.