5 Search Results for "email"

• Social Media Marketing Safety Social Media Marketing Safety

  • From: Anthony
  • Description:

    WWW doesn't just stand for World Wide Web. It could also stand for the Wild Wild West. And although the Internet as we know it is nearly two decades old, it still has something of an "anything goes" frontier mentality.

    While the Internet is full of great opportunities, it also has its fair share of bandits, thieves, and scammers who have created ingenious ambushes to part you from your identity and your money.

    Visiting Infected Websites

    There are now millions of websites and Web pages that have been infected with malicious software like spyware and Trojans, all just waiting for unwary users to stumble upon.

    Often called "drive by downloads," in a series of studies conducted by two professors from the University of Washington in 2007,one in every 25 Web domains was found to have at least one piece of spyware waiting for unsuspecting victims, leading them to conclude "If you browse, you're eventually going to get hit with a spyware attack." Some of these loaded sites are deliberately created by criminals, but many are legitimate websites where lax security has been exploited by thieves' to plant this malicious code.

    According to one study by anti-virus firm Sophos, a new infected Web page is discovered every 4.5 seconds. And once again, the United States is still the biggest host of these malicious websites according to security firm Symantec.

    Scareware 

    Scareware is a growing trend and threat that uses bogus anti-virus and anti-spyware software to warn you that your computer is infected with non-existent threats or technical issues and then attempts to get you to pay for the fake software in order to clean your infected computer. Of course, if you're using Identity Guard then you already have world-class anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall protection included in IDENTITY GUARD^® Total Protection^SM — protection that I've relied on for nearly a decade.

    Both the software and the alerts can be very convincing, and play on the user's fear of being infected by something nasty. The problem is now so bad (which means the scam must work), five new scareware sites are being discovered every single day, according to The 2009 Security Threat Report from security firm Sophos. Some scareware gangs are believed to be able to rake in more than $5 million a year with this simple scam according to Sophos.

    Social Networks 

    According to Facebook and MySpace there are now more than 400 million users active on social networking websites. Unfortunately many of the users are criminals who realize that when so many people post so much personal information about themselves on such a public forum, there has to be a way to exploit this information for financial gain.

    Scams on social networks range from using collected personal information to make bogus job offers, to creating fake MySpace or Facebook pages that are infected with malicious data-stealing code. Kids and teens are especially vulnerable on these sites because they are more likely to post or share personal information without the necessary caution.

    Resume and Job Websites 

    Just posting a resume on a job hunting site, or applying for a job, can expose your personal details to thieves. In 2007 hackers were able to break into the databases of job hunting and resume posting site Monster.com. They then took their time to create realistic looking job offers that were sent to hundreds of thousands of users, and coming from a real Monster.com email address. This form of social engineering was used to trick users into revealing sensitive information to what they thought was a real potential employer.

    Monster.com admitted that as many as 1.6 million users had their personal data exposed. And there have been many cases of bogus companies setting up booths at legitimate job fairs with no other purpose than to trick job applications into revealing their Social Security numbers and other personal information.

    Fraudulent Websites 

    Fraudulent websites are everywhere on the net, and the frauds involve everything from offering great deals on hard-to-get items that never actually arrive, to auction frauds, credit card scams, and counterfeit goods.

    Online pharmacies are a well known example, and these companies can make millions of dollars every year selling fake pharmaceuticals to users who don't seem to realize or care that not only are they wasting their money, they're also risking their health by taking pills that are often tainted with toxins. If you do visit one of these websites, ID VAULT^® by IDENTITY GUARD^® Total Protection^SM will let you know if the site is legitimate and help you avoid making a risky decision.

    Logging on to Bank Accounts 

    In August 2009 The Washington Post highlighted the plight of a number of businesses, schools, and individuals who had their bank accounts emptied by cyber gangs. The gangs managed to install password-stealing "banking Trojans" on the victim computers, stole their bank account passwords, and emptied entire accounts. And forget zero liability. In the case of business accounts, the "zero liability" laws rarely apply so that victims are often unable to recover any of the stolen funds.

    Using Wi-Fi Networks 

    Public and free Wi-Fi networks have sprung up across the country, especially at cafes, coffee shops and airports (my dermatologist now offers free Wi-Fi in his waiting room). But unless the Wi-Fi network and your laptop have adequate security, using such a network can expose everything on your computer to any hacker in the area.

    Downloading and Sharing Files 

    Downloading and sharing files has posed a serious identity theft threat for years and yet people just can't seem to be able to say no to downloading free screensavers, opening electronic greeting cards from complete strangers, and sharing movie clips with anyone who says they're worth watching.

    But all of these files can be used to hide the most potent and dangerous forms of spyware, keyloggers, and Trojans — all focused on stealing your personal data and hijacking your computer. That's where products like ID VAULT^® by IDENTITY GUARD^® Total Protection^SM feature are so valuable, because they prevent malicious software like Trojans from stealing your logins and passwords and forwarding them to hackers.

    Phishing and Pharming 

    Phishing and pharming scams have been very successful in exploiting our trust in familiar companies and brand names, and according to research firm Gartner tricked more than 3 million consumers out of more than $1 billion every year.

    Email Scams and Frauds 

    You're probably one of the millions of Americans to receive one of those long-winded and emotional email requests from a Nigerian citizen begging you to be the lucky recipient of millions of dollars from the unclaimed estate of a recently deceased Nigerian businessman. These scams are so obvious I often get asked why scammers keep sending them. The simple answer is that they work. These scammers send out millions of emails every month in the hope that just a handful of the recipients are naive enough or greedy enough to fall for it.

    Spam 

    Spam now accounts for more than 90% of all email and most of it contains some kind of fraud or scam, according to anti-span firm Brightmail, two years ago spam accounted for just 60% of email yet has gotten worse in spite of advances in spam filtering technology.

    Whether it's to trick you into buying a bogus product that never arrives, steal a credit card number, or tricks you into downloading some malicious code to your computer, spam is far more than a nuisance. In fact, the number of infected spam emails grew more than 400% between the beginning of 2008 and the end, according to BrightMail. And contrary to popular belief, the United States is the biggest culprit when it comes to sending spam. Spam is also increasing in blogs and social networks. In November 2008, Facebook was awarded $873 million in a court judgment against a Canadian spammer who sent out more than 4 million spam emails using a compromised Facebook account.

    PROTECTING YOURSELF ONLINE

    Up-to-date Virus and Spyware Protection

    It's not just important to have good anti-virus and anti-spyware software on every computer you use, but you also have to make sure they're updated to cover the latest threats. IDENTITY GUARD^® Total Protection^SM includes world-class anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall security to make this task so much easier. Symantec reports from various anti-virus firms have found that while 90% of consumers have anti-virus software installed, less than 40% keep their software updated.

    Keep Your Computer Patched

    Many attacks on personal computers, especially those that use "drive by" downloads, actively look for computers that don't have the latest software patches. Most software companies, like Microsoft, offer an easy way to automatically download the latest patches so you don't have to remember.

    Be Careful About Sites You Visit

    One of your best defenses is simply to be careful about the websites you visit. Stay away from unfamiliar sites, and if you stumble across one, don't let your curiosity overcome your caution. Just move on quickly. ID VAULT^® by IDENTITY GUARD^® Total Protection^SM is an invaluable tool in helping you avoid malicious websites and warning you if you stumble across a questionable or risky site.

    Use Just One Credit Card for Online Shopping

    Using just one credit card for all your online shopping and payments greatly reduces the chance you'll fall victim to online identity theft, and can also reduce the number of times your credit cards will be stored in someone else's database. The more servers and databases your cards and transactions are stored on, the great your exposure to identity theft.

    Be Careful When Typing In a URL

    A common mistake by computer users is to accidentally type in the wrong website address and end up on a bogus website that looks like the real thing. So just slow down and pay attention and you should avoid this pitfall. ID VAULT^® is always on guard to help you avoid this danger.

    Don't Do Banking From a Laptop or Wi-Fi

    Wi-Fi networks can make your computer vulnerable to nearby hackers and eavesdroppers, so if you have to use a Wi-Fi network for sensitive online activities like checking an account balance, exercise caution and common sense and make sure you take all the recommended security precautions.

    Restrict Access to Your Computer

    The fewer people have access to your computer, the less chance someone will inadvertently download something malicious to your computer. A simple screen login would be a good idea and most Windows operating systems make this easy. Only download files you're certain of or are expecting, and don't open or forward files like movie and music clips, e-cards, etc.

    Keep Spam Out of Your Diet

    Never respond to spam or click on any links in spam emails. Nothing good comes from spam, and even just responding to a spam email can increase your spam problem tenfold — you've just confirmed that you have a legitimate email address.

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  • 2 months ago
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• Social Media Marketing Virus R Social Media Marketing Virus Risks

  • From: Anthony
  • Description:

    Computer viruses - I explore what they are, why they are made, and why social media marketers are at risk.
    
    Over recent years, computers have become synonymous with viruses and viruses don’t show any signs of disappearing any time soon. In recent news, LiveScience.com reported that “Before the month is even done, April has set a record for virus e-mails.” In the past, we would be comfortable in telling new computer users not to worry about viruses and that catching a computer virus is rare. Today, that would be some of the worst advice we could give anyone. As reported in countless news reports, computer viruses are rampant and they’re extremely worrisome. This article will describe what viruses are and then point you in the direction of some rather unique protection and prevention.
    
    In short, a computer virus is a software program designed to destroy or steal data. It attacks computers via distribution – often unknowingly – through email attachments, software downloads, and even some types of advanced web scripting. Viruses that destroy data are known as Trojan horses, viruses that explode their attacks are called bombs, and viruses that duplicate themselves are called worms. Some viruses are a combination of each, however they can be further identified according to where they’re located on a computer.
    
    A virus originating from the boot sector of a computer is a boot-sector virus and this nasty devil does its dirty work the moment a computer is turned on. A virus that attaches itself to (infects) other programs is a file virus and activates the moment that an infected program starts. File viruses may also be referred to as parasitic viruses, however should a virus work from both the boot-sector and from an infected program, the virus is then known as a multipartite virus.
    
    Why viruses exist remains a mystery, however we had privy access to the mind behind a virus programmer who explained his motivation behind his destructive inclinations. Apparently, this person had a deep grudge against a popular online service which shall remain unnamed. In this hacker’s mind, the online service failed to do a quality job in protecting children from online smut and as retaliation, he created and distributed a virus to as many file libraries of this service as he could. His intentions were to disable the computers of the online service’s users so much that they wouldn’t be able to connect for days. In his mind, the loss of connection meant loss of revenue for the online service.
    
    Although the malicious code that this person generated may have worked for a small percentage of users, sufficed to say, the online service continued on and still exists today. Despite his motivation or intention, his efforts were null.
    
    We wouldn’t be surprised to learn if other motivations behind spreading viruses were similar to this person’s, but that doesn’t justify the damage that viruses do. Innocent people become pawns for the evil plans of others who’ve convinced themselves they’re doing the “right” thing.
    
    To protect a computer from getting a virus, or clean a virus from a computer system once infected requires the use of an antivirus utility. But may be something else we can do. Perhaps we could make an effort to educate the people who want put viruses into the public about ways to display dissatisfaction with a service or product that don’t involve harming innocent parties. In doing so, we just might reduce the number of virus news stories and protect our own investments at the same time.

  • Blog post
  • 1 year ago
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• Social Media Marketers and Com Social Media Marketers and Computer Security

  • From: Anthony
  • Description:

    Computer security - In today’s society, protecting your computer is a requirement if you are going to do any type of social media marketing.
    
    Advances in computer technology is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it affords us quick and easy access to numerous conveniences such as bank statements, favorite shopping centers, school and health records, and more. On the other hand, it can also grant the same access to those who aren’t supposed to get it. Although it’s a rare occurrence, hacking has become the biggest criminal nuisance in computer history.
    
    Make no bones about it. There’s nothing innocent or cute about the hacker. Today’s hackers aren’t the pimply-faced teen rebels that you might be thinking of. Instead, this generation of hackers are grown individuals who are more than likely earning a living by stealing the identities of innocent, law abiding individuals and then selling those identities to others who want to slip by the system. And the only protection against these seedy people is prevention.
    
    Computer security couldn’t be more important than it is today and that’s why we’ve taken the time to introduce it to you. You can reduce the probability of experiencing identity theft by making your computer as hacker-proof as possible. All that’s needed is a little software and a lot of common sense.
    
    1. Install an anti-virus/anti-spyware program. Anti-virus/anti-spyware software will stop malicious code from downloading and installing onto your computer while you peruse the Internet. Known as viruses, worms, or spyware, this malicious code can destroy important files and render your computer good for only one thing: sending sensitive data back to the server of an identity thief.
    
    2. Don’t store sensitive data on your computer in the first place. Should your computer get infected with a virus, worm, or piece of spyware, you can thwart the individuals responsible by not storing your personal information on your PC so that when and if your computer does send back data – it won’t be anything valuable. Hackers look for things like full names, social security numbers, phone numbers, home addresses, work-related information, and credit card numbers. If these things aren’t saved onto a computer, there’s nothing critical to worry about other than restoring your computer to a non-virus condition.
    
    3. Don’t open files without scanning them with an anti-virus/anti-spyware program. In the past, the warning was to avoid opening files from people that you don’t know. Today it’s really not safe to open files from anyone (without scanning the files) because that’s how viruses get spread – through files - even by mistake. So even though your co-worker may have emailed a funny video, it’s no more safe to open than a video downloaded from a complete stranger. Be safe and scan each and every file you download from the Internet or receive through email regardless of where it came from.
    
    4. Create a barrier between your computer and prying eyes. Anti-virus/anti-spyware programs are only effective after the effect. But you can prevent identity theft from occurring by installing a firewall. A firewall is software that checks all data entering and exiting a computer and it then blocks that which doesn’t meet specified security criteria (user-defined rules).
    
    5. Don’t click on website links in spam messages. In an effort to obtain personal information, some spammers will send email that asks you to click on a link. The email messages are often disguised as important messages from well-known online establishments, and they often try to scare their readers into clicking links with threats of closing an account of some sort. Sometimes the links are harmless and attempt to con the reader into volunteering personal information (credit card number), but other times the links attempt to download harmful software onto a computer.
    
    Your best protection against computer crimes is your own knowledge. Hopefully the suggestions above will prompt you into taking appropriate action and into protecting your computer with the suggested tools. In doing so, you’ll not only protect yourself, you’ll prevent the spread of these malicious activities and protect others at the same time.

     

     

  • Blog post
  • 1 year ago
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• damianleon777

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• Comments Re: Report/Membership Comments Re: Report/Membership

  • From: Anthony
  • Description:

    Thank you for requesting my newest report and access to my membership site that deals with social media marketing safety, security, and privacy.
    
    You now have the tools to avoid the dangers of social media marketing, earn more money & have more free time!

    Please post your comments here on this blog ...
    
    Did it open your eyes to issues facing all social media marketers?
    
    Have you already thought of a plan to use what you have uncovered to make your experience safer?
    
    Share your thoughts with me on the blog. I really want to know what you think about the reports. So leave a comment, okay?
    
    If you are facing any problems, just send your email  this way - support@myinterop.net
    
    Regards,
    Anthony & MyInterOp Pro Support Team
    http://www.MyInterOpPro.net
    
    P.S. If this report & membership helped to enhance your social media marketing .... plase invite your friends to get a copy and get access too.
    
    Send them to our site using your unique referral link given to you in the email confirmation.
    
    You will be helping them out a lot. And they will thank you for it later.
    
    ==========================================================
           Anthony Colon DBA MyInterOp - 25 Foch Street
               Lewiston, Maine 04240 - 207-312-5288
                       anthony@myinterop.net
    ==========================================================

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  • 1 year ago
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