“Right now in America and across the world the number one way of getting your identity stolen and to find out one day that your checking account was empty is electronic fraud and electronic fraud is happening on a worldwide basis across the Internet,” said Matt Walz of Matt’s Computers as he addressed the Jacksonville Exchange Club on October 23.Walz told the Exchangites about the two types of malicious software, or malware, that can be used to destroy a computer or steal personal information – viruses and spyware – and discussed the five steps everyone can take to keep themselves, and their computers, safe.
• Step 1: Use a firewall, anti-virus software and anti-spyware software.
“Anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, firewall software, which now can be purchased all in one package, you don’t have to buy three separate softwares, is a must. You have to, have to, have to have it and keep it updated,” said Walz.
Walz told the group that nearly every computer he has seen with viruses on it has a lapsed subscription on its anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Without the subscription being up-to-date the program didn’t know about the most recent viruses and couldn’t protect the computer.
• Step 2: Be cautious if you get an unexpected result when online, you may be on the edge of an attack.
“When you see a popup, the x can be programmed for anything the programmer intends it to do. It can be programmed to install a downloader,” said Walz, warning people that if an unexpected popup comes up they should disconnect from the Internet and shut down the computer.
• Step 3: It isn’t really free.
Every downloadable file can be malware in disguise. From photos to music or movie files, if it is labeled as free online, be wary of it.
“Don’t try it. It’s really not free,” said Walz. “If you’re downloading a program that’s free, it could be a masquerade. It could in fact be a package of viruses.”
• Step 4: Don’t open or accept mass e-mails.
Walz told the Exchange Club that mass e-mails could be infected and could make your computer part of a botnet, putting yourself and anyone in your e-mail contact list in danger of being exploited by hackers.
• Step 5: Turn off plug-ins on your browser or use a browser that doesn’t accept plug-ins.
Webpages that have been set up as distribution points for spyware or viruses often use plug-ins, such as Active X, Java, Flash or others to infect a computer. By disabling these in a browser, you reduce the chance of accidentally downloading malware.
“There are ways to go into Internet Explorer to turn off Active X while you are browsing the Internet,” said Walz. “You can also turn off Java, Flash or other plug-ins that you have downloaded or have been installed on your computer.”
Matt told the group about a recent experiment he did where he tried to get his computer infected with a virus. Because he was using up-to-date anti-virus software and he kept plug-ins turned off, it took him three days to pick up an infection; despite regularly visiting sites he knew contained malicious software.
“We have to protect ourselves. We have to use common sense,” said Walz. “We need to take the precautions that we can and that we can afford to take and do life as we know it. Throwing the computers out is not going to answer the problem because the computer has become a staple in our society of how we do business and how we communicate.”
