September 27, 2009

Dear Friend,

Thank you for the email. I recently completed a class on the Internet and Telecommunications. One of my assignments involved researching viruses, spyware and internet hoaxes. I learned quite a bit about this troublesome aspect of the internet and thought you might be interested.

Did you know the emails that are passed around regarding terrible viruses, may actually contain the virus itself? I discovered it is better not to forward these messages, as they may cause more harm than good. Also, many of those stories that get forwarded about lost children or getting millions by sending a dollar to ten friends are just not true. There are websites that “debunk” these myths.

Have you ever received a pop-up advertisement saying, “your computer may be at risk”? Even those, are ways that viruses may be downloaded. We all love Facebook…but, please be careful when you get the update emails. It is better to sign in directly at Facebook, because this email could actually harbor a virus. You can read more about it at the Facebook home page.

Finally, be aware of “phishing.” If you receive emails or instant messages that seem the slightest bit suspicious, do not respond. My friend received an email from what appeared to be her bank. She was tricked in to providing her pin number and the thieves ended up getting several thousand dollars from her bank account before she realized. Verify the source before providing anything online.

According to what I learned, the best way to protect yourself is to surf smartly and make sure you have a good anti-virus software, such as McAfee or Symantac. McAfee even offers a site advisor which lets you know if they have approved a site. Never click on a link in an email unless you know it has come from a trusted source. Use your pop-up blocker and install all the security updates as needed. Finally, just be a little skeptical about the internet.

Take care….. Kristi

Virus… Spam…Phishing…Hoaxes

· Install and Update a good Security Program

o McAfee McAfee.com

o Symantac Symantac.com

· Install Updates as suggested by your operating system, browser and anti-virus program

· Use a Pop up blocker

· Only download software from trusted Websites

· Be cautious of clicking on pop-up advertising or links in emails.

· Download and run an Anti-Spyware program

· Be Skeptical-- If it seems fishy it probably is Phishy!

Helpful Sites

StopBadWare.org (date visited 9/27/09) http://www.stopbadware.org/home/badware_prevent

This website is a partnership among leaders in technology, academic institutions and consumers to help protect internet users from viruses, bad software, spam and phishing. It contains a great deal of information helpful to the consumer.

snopes.com (date visited 9/27/09) http://snopes.com/

This website is a great place to visit to determine the validity of internet legends and hoaxes. Check out that next “forward” you receive from a friend.