How to Protect Yourself While Working on the Internet: | Total Security Software

The most densely populated place for viruses on the Internet, according to anti-virus specialists, is the so-called Usenet network, which includes a variety of news (teleconferencing) groups. In other words, the news is a very unreliable source in terms of receiving files and should be treated with more than caution. Try to use news for its intended purpose: to support discussions, exchange opinions, information, but not as a source of free software. The form of interaction in the news is still the same exchange of mail messages, so when working with news, use the same guidelines as to when working with e-mail.

Another nuisance when working with news (and other similar services) may be the publicity of your email address, which can later be used for spam mailing or mailing messages with viruses. When you post a message to the newsgroup, it always contains your return address. This is potentially dangerous because there are special programs that can automatically scan such ads, fetching email addresses from them. However, such software machines can be easily tricked. Change your return address to include some prominent part, for example, I.Ivanov-DEL-@provider.ru: people will understand what your true address is, and the programs will use the spoof as it is.

ICQ pagers are also high-risk services. The fact is that, in addition to just exchanging messages, these services also make it possible to exchange files that may turn out to be malicious programs. The rules for working with files should be the same as when receiving attachments by e-mail: never open the sent files without first checking them with an anti-virus program. Do not succumb to the human factor, when, in the heat of communication, you want to immediately see the photo of the interlocutor, look carefully if the file sent is not a fake image file, try not to disclose information about yourself.

Another potential danger of ICQ is the ability to determine the IP address of your computer, which can be used for outside influence. When working in ICQ, be sure to check the box that prohibits showing the IP address.

Recommendations for ensuring a safe Internet experience

Summing up all of the above, we can briefly formulate the following recommendations aimed at improving the safety of the user on the Internet:

- Install anti-virus software with the latest anti-virus database updates. Check for new files saved on the computer. Check your computer completely periodically.

- monitor the emergence of new versions of operating systems and timely install updates to them, eliminating the errors found.

- configure the operating system so that the basic rules of security when working on the network are provided. If possible, abandon the use of old operating programs in favour of more modern ones.

- regularly update the user's network software, such as an Internet browser, email programs, with the latest updates.

- make settings for mail, browser and clients of other services used to reduce the risk of exposure to malware and susceptibility to network attacks.

- never install or save files received from unreliable sources: downloaded from unknown websites, sent by e-mail, received in newsgroups - without first checking with an antivirus program. It is better to delete suspicious files immediately.

- when receiving notifications of non-delivery of mail messages, pay attention to the reason and in case of automatic notification of a possible sending of a virus, immediately scan the computer with an anti-virus program.

- if possible, do not save passwords in the system (for establishing connections to the Internet, for e-mail, etc.), change them periodically. Back up important information regularly.

- prepare and have in an accessible place a system boot disk. If you suspect that your computer has been infected with a malicious program, boot the system from the disk and check it with a total security software antivirus program.

Attention! Scammers operate on social networks!

During the New Year holidays and currently in social networks, many users receive messages from strangers or from friends in the contact list, asking them to visit a certain resource or vote for them by sending an SMS to a short number. Along with this, fraudsters often change the status of users and post the information they need.

Management "K" warns: do not fall for the tricks of fraudsters, visiting the specified resources or sending SMS to the designated number! Most likely, the page of the user from whom such messages are received has been hacked, and mass mailing is carried out on his behalf. When switching to the indicated resources, there is a high probability of infecting the computer with some kind of malicious program, and after sending an SMS to the specified number, you can lose a considerable amount of money from the account.

To avoid unauthorized access to your pages on social networks, including the content of e-mail, as well as to prevent possible consequences associated with the actions of fraudsters, the following measures should be taken:

1. Refrain from fulfilling the request specified in the message.

2. Contact the friend from whom you received the above message and check with him if he really is the author of the message.

3. If it turns out that the user's page has been hacked, he needs to change passwords in social networks and e-mail, as well as check the computer for viruses.

And as a general recommendation, the specialists of the Office "K" advise users to install well-proven anti-virus programs on their computers and not neglect security measures while using the Internet.

Beware of suggestions to locate a person by their mobile number!

Recently, many Internet users are faced with information posted on the network that they can locate a person by his mobile phone number. To do this, you need to send an SMS with a set of certain numbers to the specified number and get an access code to the service for 10 rubles.

However, after carrying out the above manipulations, the client still fails to search for the person he is interested in, but a tidy sum is debited from his account.

Department "K" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs warns that it is possible to determine the whereabouts of a person by their mobile phone number only with his consent. This service is provided by some cellular operators by the established procedure. However, if such an offer does not come from a mobile operator, but from third parties, then this is nothing more than a fraud!