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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
(NC)-During the holiday shopping season, we all take precautions at the shopping mall to protect against pick pockets, cover our parcels in the car to avoid a break-in and ensure our homes are locked to avoid our presents from being stolen.
These precautions are excellent measures to protect against more traditional crimes. But, with the increasing popularity of online shopping during the holidays, we also need to protect ourselves from modern-day cyber criminals.
Protect yourself online this holiday season by following these simple tips:
. Use an Internet security solution like Norton Internet Security with a firewall to prevent outsiders from accessing your private data on your computer.
. Beware of "phishing" emails where fraudsters randomly send millions of e-mails in an attempt to obtain personal information, such as credit card numbers or passwords to banking sites. Also be weary of "vishing" e-mails requesting you to call a 1-800 number.
. Watch out for Trojan Horses. Consumers who download without online security software run the risk of infecting their PCs with a Trojan Horse that can damage or compromise a computer's security. This threat typically arrives in your inbox in the form of a joke and prompts you to open an attached file. Many of these files contain key logger programs that monitor keystrokes that will allow criminals to record passwords that, in turn, give them access to your bank accounts.
. Consumers should routinely check to see if their PC is vulnerable to threats by using Symantec Security Check. Simply go to www.symantec.com/securitycheck. The complimentary clean-up tool will provide a security search of your computer for online threats and scan for the detection of viruses.
Enjoy your time online this holiday season, but take the necessary precautions to protect yourself.
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