Internet lesson 3 - More Security

Anti-Phishing

Most probably all of you have occasionally received emails like this one:

This type of mails lead you to fraudulent web sites. In criminal law, fraud is the crime or offense of deliberately deceiving another in order to damage them - usually, to obtain property or services unjustly.

Watch out for this stuff in emails!

Misspelled domains are big deceivers. Phishers will purchase a domain name that resembles the real domain. They will replace letters with numbers or with other letters. Pay close attention to the spelling of a domain name, and learn to spot a fake like paypol.com instead of paypal.com.

An IP (Internet Protocol) address looks something like 102.199.60.250. Bottom line, never trust emails that point you to URLs that only show an IP address.

i.e.: http://102.199.60.250/sample/of/suspicious/address.aspx?ID=7878

Variations of domains should also be a red flag. Don't click on any email that contains URLs like http://center.yahoo-security.net. A legitimate URL should read http://center.yahoo.com if it actually belongs to Yahoo! Anyone could've purchased www.yahoo-security.net for a scam.

Does the sender's mail account match the domain name? i.e. an email from ICICI http://www.icicibank.com/ should be something like support@icicibank.com or customer-care@icicibank.com

Phishers often create the sense of urgency. If you feel under time pressure stop and wait. If it is really urgent they would have phoned you or sent you a regular letter.

Technical language like "We have recently updated our online system to include multi-socket layer secure authentication." tries to impress you.

Logos help to make the email look "real" and "official"

Your name in the email doesn't guaranty authenticity anymore. They are often borrowed from your email address, social networking sites like Facebook, etc.

Cut-and-paste links are the preferred link type in secure emails - "click here" is not a secure way. Click here - If this type of link is used be careful. It offers easy clicking. Secure websites use "copy&paste" links most of the time like this one:

Please copy and paste this link into the address bar of you browser

https://link-to-a-bank/example/login.php

Make sure the URL of the displayed link matches the URL in the status bar

Most money and login transactions use encrypted https links. You can see them in the status bar at the bottom or the location bar.

Be careful if you find no other means to contact the originator of the email than the email address itself. Why don't they have phone and post addresses?

Grammar and spelling errors are suspicious

"Thank you for requesting ...." - did you request?

Account information displayed matches with your actual numbers? It is not very likely that confidential information is sent to you by email. Generally that shows low security and privacy standards of the sender.

A fraudulent e-mail flooding the Internet claims to have a link to an E-Card from a "family member," "friend," "neighbour," or a first name (i.e., Tom, Sue, etc.) and uses major greeting card company names such as Hallmark. Clicking on the link downloads a virus onto your computer that compromises personal data.

Instant Web Site ID

Want to be extra sure about a site's legitimacy before you make a purchase? Click on a site favicon for an instant identity overview. Another click digs deeper: how many times have you visited? Are your passwords saved? Check up on suspicious sites, avoid Web forgeries and make sure a site is what it claims to be.

Yahoo

Clear Private Data

Anti-Malware

Firefox 3 protects you from viruses, worms, Trojan horses and spyware. If you accidentally access an attack site, you'll receive a full-sized browser message as a warning. A continuously updated list of attack sites tells you when to stop browsing. This tool, called officially Malware Protection, warns you when you steer Firefox to sites that are known to install viruses, spyware, Trojan horses and other malicious code. When you try to reach a site on the banned list, a large red warning appears in lieu of the page. The warning says that the intended destination "has been reported as an attack site and has been blocked based on your security preferences." A button labeled "Get me out of here!" returns Firefox to the browser's original page.
Shop and do business safely on the Internet. Firefox gets a fresh update of web forgery sites 48 times in a day, so if you try to visit a fraudulent site that's pretending to be a site you trust (like your bank), a browser message - big as life - will stop you.

Automated Update

The open source security strategy finds - and fixes - security issues in record time, making Firefox the safest way to surf. Make sure you always use the latest Firefox copy!

Privacy

Let's have a look what other people know about your computer.
Spyware and viruses can scan your entire hard drive and send this information to people you don't know. They can find out who you are, where you live (address, email, phone etc), your passwords and credit card numbers and much more. They can scan your emails, know about stuff you don't want them to know - business information, secret girl or boy friends, illegal downloads ...