A regular part of my job is removing viruses, spyware and other junk from clients’ computers.
Naturally, the first question I get is, “How did this happen?”
The simple answer is that the bad guys are both sneaky and smart.
They know the weaknesses of anti-virus software and they know how to play consumers like us.
We’re all looking for ways to save money everyday.
That’s not a bad thing, but you really do get what you pay for — especially when it comes to anti-virus software.
The bad guys are working hard to exploit any weakness they can find in these program.
And more often than not, a free or bargain basement anti-virus program is not going to be up to the threat posed by sophisticated malware.
You’ll need to do your homework and find a solution for yourself that has been tested by a reputable third party like Consumer Reports or PC Magazine.
However, even the best anti-virus protection isn’t always perfect.
Like I said, bad guys are working hard to stay ahead of protective technology.
They use all sorts of underhanded methods to get us to help them infect your computer.
One of the most common tricks is to get you to click on a link to a web site that is “poisoned” with malware.
For example, you get an email saying your Amazon gift card with $92 on it is about to expire.
Or how about one that wants you to confirm your Best Buy purchase of $2,382?
Many people will simply click the link just to see what’s going on. And then, they have you. Another successful trick that is often used is where the bad guys send you a junk ad for solar panels or some other product.
It’s not the ad they’re tying to get you to click on, it’s the “unsubscribe” link.
By clicking on that link, it can download the spyware program without you knowing about it.
Even more insidious is what’s called “spear phishing.”
Here’s how it works: a friend or colleague’s email account has been compromised.
The bad guys use the information in that account to create a targeted email that contains references to conversations that you’ve had in the past and includes a link to a poisoned site.
For example, you get an email from a client. She says she’s looking at a product and includes a link, then asks if your product can compete.
Chances are good even the most wary user would click the link.
Next month I’ll talk about ways you can avoid these traps while still use email confidently and productively.
Sven Mogelgaard is the owner of I Need a CTO, an IT consulting firm based in Mill Creek. If you have comments, questions or suggestions for future columns, send an email to sven@millcreektech.guru or on Facebook at Facebook.com/millcreektech.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
