In the current age of global economy, no business can afford to be without access to the Internet.  Unfortunately, there are a growing number of threats that cause headaches and frustration to novice and professional users alike.  Below is a list of the 5 most common things that I hear when a client has an infection.

1. “But I have a firewall” – While a firewall is an essential part of any business network, its function is often understood incorrectly as  the ultimate protection from the outside world.  This isn’t really the case.  The function of a firewall is to protect your network from outside intrusion.  Your internet router is a door, and the firewall is the security guard asking if incoming traffic has permission to be there.  Instead of just a simple firewall, you might consider a Unified Threat Management (UTM) device.  There is an additional cost, but UTMs enhance the protection of the network by combining the technology of antivirus and even antispam with a firewall.  They not only ask whether the traffic is allowed in, but also what kind of traffic it is. 

2. “But I have antivirus” – Antivirus software is similar to the inoculation shots we all received as a child.  First, the infection was identified.  Then the cure was developed.  And, just like the flu every winter season, as the strain of infection changes, a new cure needs to be created.  One of the biggest things that can help is to make sure that your anivirus software has current definition files, and that the software is up-to-date.  Using Norton or McAfee 2009, even with the most current AV definitions, will not be as effective as the current software version and today’s definitions.

3. “I didn’t do anything, it just installed itself” – While this statement may seem true, most current infections require some sort of user interaction, even if we were completely unaware of it.  Attackers insert their infections and malicious code into everything from hyperlinks to even web images.  The act of clicking on a picture on the internet can launch code that installs the infection into your computer.  The code may even have a time bomb aspect which delays the infection so that it becomes harder to track the source of the malicious code.  It also gives the infection time to insert itself into your computer's restore points and backups.

4. “I don’t go to those kinds of sites”  – Malware and Viruses can be found nearly everywhere, embedding themselves into any picture, icon, or link on the web.  The use of Site Advisor software may help mitigate this threat.

5. “I knew the person who sent the email” – This recently caused issues for some of my friends.  My Yahoo account was used to send an email containing an internet link that took users to an infected site.  This email was sent to people in my address book at 2:30 AM on a Friday night, which is not a normal time for me to be sending emails!  Most of the people who received it realized it was malware and deleted it right away.  Others saw the subject line, which said “About your stomach problems”, and realized it didn't apply to them.  Finally, some people noticed that the only text in the email was the internet link and nothing else.  For the one or two people who were tempted to open the email, this was the final red flag that scared them away.  So when opening an email, remember these guidelines:  First, see who it is from, and avoid opening emails from unknown senders.  Second, check when was it sent - is this a time when that person would normally be sending me emails?  And finally, look at the content of the email - is it something that this user would send me?

You do not need to be a rocket scientist to protect your computer; just be vigilant and use common sense (which often is not so common).  If you don't, you will have to call the Wizard to get rid of the evil witch that infected your computer.

hope this helps; till next post,

Andrew Nevens
InnerTag
407-949-0106
andrew@innertag.com
www.innertag.com