Securing your PC

Guide to Antivirus Software, tips to defend your PC from viruses.Antivirus software alone is not enough.

Make Adobe Reader and Acrobat Safer to Use:

Adobe Reader comes pre-installed on most computers. And even if you never use it, just the mere presence can leave your computer at risk. Vulnerabilities in Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat are the number one most common infection vector, bar none. Making sure you stay up-to-date with the latest version of Adobe products is imperative, but not foolproof. To use Adobe Reader (and Acrobat) safely, you need to make a few tweaks to its settings. Following are the must-make security changes you need to make in Adobe Reader and/or Adobe Acrobat.

Cybercrime: Malware Attacks and Scams:

Cyberwar is being waged, malware is the attack tool, and Internet users are on the front-lines of the battlefield. Criminals are attacking via the Web, using social engineering tricks and compromised websites to foist malware onto victims computers. The goal: to steal financial and intellectual property from individuals and companies across the globe. Here's how to prepare your defenses to avoid becoming front-line fodder.

 

1. Social Engineering Attacks

Cybercriminals know that the best way to breach defenses is to trick the user into doing something harmful. Their methods range from cleverly worded email, to fake websites, to even phone and snail mail. Everyone is a potential target and anyone who uses the Web risks social engineering attacks each time they open their email or browse to a website. To effectively defend yourself, you need to become aware of just how much personal information about you is publicly available via the Web and learn to control the information so it cannot be used against you, your friends, or your family.

2. The Web as an Attack Tool

Criminals are using the Web to attack victims and quite often they are using perfectly legitimate websites to do so. Unlike the defaced websites of a decade ago, when attackers compromise a website today, they don't leave any outwardly visible signs of the intrusion. Instead, they plant malicious external references to silently foist malware onto visitors' computers. Features within the Web browser can also be used against you. Here's a look at some of the more common methods used and how to properly secure against them.

3. Tricks of the Scam Trade

Malware isn't the only scourge plaguing Internet users today. Online scam artists use social engineering techniques to trick victims into performing illegal money laundering, or paying large sums of their hard-earned money for the promise of a big payout that never materializes.