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Psychological Internet Security: Drawing a Spider to the Web
By Josh George
Even if everyone knew exactly what they wanted and where to get it on the internet, they would not be safe from this. While antivirus solutions and computer protection software are evolving to identify these scams, many are still evading internet security solutions. These scams can affect everyone and can be summed up in one word: Pharming.
While you have probably heard about pharming as well as the dangers that come from surfing to sites containing pornography, warez (illegal downloads) and other underground-related sites, pharming can virtually affect any topic of any industry. As long as sensitive information can be extracted from you, pharming scams will be developed. After all, people can act like lemmings on the internet; one by one, they will stumble into the pharming scam and do exactly what the scam artists want them to do.
So you're probably wondering what pharming is and how it can compromise your computer protection and internet security. Simply put, it is like an evolved form of phishing. Instead of the scam artists trying to convince you to visit a fraudulent site, they just build tons of fraudulent sites and let you visit them through redirection tactics. While the details of these redirection tactics are beyond the scope of this article, it is important to know that financially-related websites are the primary targets of pharming scams.
As you can understand, it is extremely difficult to identify pharming scams because you have no idea when you visit one. But is this really the case? For many, the warnings literally pop up in front of their eyes, but they have simply trained themselves to ignore the computer protection and internet security signs. The question is, are you one of these people?
Answer this: have you ever browsed to a place where you are greeted with an internet security warning stating you just entered a site with an unsigned certificate? If you have, did you simply agree to view the site and not even bother to wonder why there was an unsigned certificate internet security warning? Well, that warning box could mean the loss of your identity if you are not careful enough. For scammers to set up these pharming websites, they try to duplicate every aspect of the real site as possible, including the certificates. If you ignore these unsigned certificate warnings and enter your personal information, you literally send it all to the scammers.
To help identify these scams, click File > Properties in your browser and make sure the website is an actual domain name instead of an IP address. Simply looking at the address bar of a pharming site is not enough, for scammers have ways to cloak it. Also, make sure that yellow lock is in the bottom right-hand corner of your browser window. That lock signifies SSL, which means your information is being transferred over a securely encrypted channel.
When it comes to additional computer protection and internet security, grab a free legitimate anti-phishing toolbar. Also make sure to install the most current updates for your antivirus software.
In the end, remember internet security and computer protection means using common sense and judgment when surfing the web. For any sites that require you to enter personal information, make sure you analyze the website like discussed above. In spending the additional time it takes to do this, you will dramatically increase your computer protection and online security, all without spending a penny.
About the Author
Josh George has been an active member in the computer security community since 1998. He has made many presentations to groups that involved members from the FBI, DoD, and NSA and now helps everyone. His computer security site provides time-tested best practices and recommended tools: Computer Protection
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/author-articles/10613/1.html
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| Some other articles by Josh George | |
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