A customer came into my shop this week and told me her identity had been stolen and her credit card was used in a fraudulent manner. Her bank’s investigation led her to bring the computer in to be serviced for a spyware removal. In her case, viruses and other software had potentially intercepted sensitive information and sent it electronically to identity pirates who made purchases with her credit card. I hear similar stories at least a couple times per week.
Prior to connecting your computer to the internet you should install virus software which starts and runs when the computer is running. Good virus software (even free versions) will monitor inbound and outbound internet and e-mail traffic. Most virus protection will halt activity and warn the user if it senses a potential threat. Some titles use technology which warns of potentially bad websites even before you visit them.
You shouldn’t rely solely on your virus software. When making online purchases you should make sure the website prefix starts with “https” which means the connection is secured. The website prefix is located in the address bar at the top of your internet browser page. If you are asked to enter personal information into a site with only “http” you should not proceed.
Of course secure websites are only as secure as your computer and installed software. Malicious software such as tracking cookies, malware and spyware can intercept the data as it’s being typed. In other words, if you are making a purchase from even the most trusted online retailer and your computer is infected, the software can still monitor every keystroke. I read a statistic about three months ago which stated that 1 in 1000 websites is designed to infect your computer.
Regular, free maintenance can be performed at home which will make your online experience much safer. Malwarebytes, SpyBot and A-Squared are probably the best free programs to keep in your personal arsenal. A great website to download them from is www.filehippo.com. Once downloaded and installed, you should update and run them about once a week depending on your surfing habits. Each will present you with a list of bad software which can be removed using the directions provided by the individual software manufacturer.
Perhaps the biggest mistake people make is to purchase fake antivirus software thinking it’s a legitimate title. Some titles disguise themselves to look similar to legitimate software, and all make false claims about the infected state of your computer. You should never purchase a title you’re not familiar with even if it sounds safe. These are often virus laden may wreak havoc on your computer.
I believe if you follow the basic rules I’ve outlined you’ll be many steps closer to saving your identity. Even though nothing is foolproof, by performing regular maintenance you can rest assured that your computer is not infected with harmful software and your personal information will not be released to software bandits.
Tip of the week: This week I had a police officer tell me that laptop theft is on the rise in the area. He suggested people not leave laptops (or any electronic devices) in plain sight in their cars. Even if you plan to be somewhere for only a few minutes you should move your laptop out of sight or take it with you. I know from my experience that retrieving stolen laptops can be impossible.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can e-mail him at Jeromy@LocalComputerWiz.com.)