In the very recent past, an unnamed coworker saw an error issue on her computer screen followed by a virus warning from her own virus scanner. It was unfortunately followed by an identical window that happened to be the virus itself, phishing for a click to further implant its program into her system. She clicked, and that computer is now dead. How can we all avoid these simple scams, momentary lapses in judgment, and frankly, disturbingly real seeming “security” that is itself a virus (we mean you, ThinkPoint!)?
You know to keep your anti-virus updated, and you know not to click hyperlinks in unknown emails, but what you don’t know is that viruses have become so advanced and savvy that they can appear to be the solution to an intentional security warning that they set off. Before you ever click anything, identify it as a part of your own system. Bugs like ThinkPoint tend to remotely pop up as an internet window, whereas a security software program will appear as a tab, just like Word.
When posting in public forums, use a phony email address so that these nefarious emails never reach you and never are able to tempt you. If you choose Yahoo, they are known for their spam filters, which will make your infrequent email checks less painful.
Don’t give your financial information on any site that you did not enter by typing the address yourself. If it popped-up from nowhere, you know it’s not safe, but if it pops-up as a second window from a location you selected to visit, like your online bank, eBay, or an online movie theater ticket purchasing site you trust, then it’s okay.
If you buy something from one of these companies that spam you, it will only infinitely increase the amount of spam you receive. Avoid selling your own information to untrustworthy companies, even if you really want their watermelon slicer.