Avoiding Online Scams

Recently, a patron called the Technology Center saying that she picked up a computer virus. She received a pop-up that her computer had been infected and a company was offering her antivirus software to clean her computer and protect her from future viruses. She decided to purchase the software, called Vista Antivirus 2011, clicked on the link and provided her credit card number. Shortly thereafter, her bank's anti-fraud division called to tell her that the company she was purchasing the software from was fraudulent and they cancelled the charge.

No harm done, right? Wrong!

By clicking on the link, the patron actually infected her computer with a malware that rendered her computer inoperable. She couldn't access the Internet, she couldn't access files on the hard drive, she couldn't even run a scan using McAfee, the antivirus software she already had installed on her computer. She now has the daunting task of cleaning the insidious virus from her computer.

Reader's Digest published an article about seven typical online scams and how to avoid them. You can read the article here. Our patron fell victim to scam #4. Here is another good article about how to protect yourself online. Microsoft is also aware of this issue, and has an article regarding "scareware" scams here. Additionally, this article from the excellent (but unfortunately recently ended) technology blog Download Squad has some good tips as well on how to spot fake anti-virus scams.

If you’ve been victimized by one of the latest scams, don’t be embarrassed. Scammers work overtime at perfecting their trade and new viruses are introduced every day. And remember, you can call the Technology Center at 248.524.3542 if you have any questions regarding antivirus software.

Panda Releases First Cloud Antivirus -- Absolutely Free

Panda has just released the final version of Panda Cloud Antivirus, the first antivirus software to be based on cloud technology. The virus scanning and updates are all done in the clouds and, therefore, provide the latest and most up-to-date virus protection instantly. Best of all, this offering from Panda is 100% free!

In an exchange with Downloadsquad , the Panda CEO had some interesting things to say about this latest entry into the anti-virus market. One statement in particular stood out:

"Panda Cloud Antivirus is a new protection model," said Santana. For starters, it's the "first antivirus without an update button."

The lack of an update button is where the cloud technology comes into play. The Cloud Antivirus connects to Panda's servers to be scanned; therefore virus definition updates are not needed as the security center is updated in real time.

What does this mean to the user?

• No need for manually updating your virus definitions
• Constantly having access to the latest updated virus, spyware and malware protection
• Extremely low memory footprint (It will not slow down your computer)

I am now running Panda Cloud Antivirus on my computer. If you are interested, visit the company website to download the program. As a head's up: you will need to register with an email address to have the complete Cloud Antivirus experience.

Microsoft Confirms Hotmail Phishing Attack

According to PCMag.com, several thousand Hotmail usernames and passwords were exposed over the weekend via a phishing attack, which Microsoft confirmed on October 5.

In a phishing scheme, users are tricked into divulging confidential information, often account password and usernames. In this case, users could have used Hotmail to communicate with banks and other institutions, storing confidential information in their accounts. Users who believe they have fallen prey to a phishing scheme should change their passwords immediately, Microsoft advises.

PCMag.com reports that on October 6, Gmail, Google's email product, also fell prey to the phishing attack. As soon as Google learned of the attack, they forced password resets on the affected accounts. They will continue to force password resets on additional accounts when they become aware of them.

These attacks are a good reminder to exercise extreme caution when opening unsolicited email attachments and links from both known and unknown sources. All email users, regardless of what product they use, should install and regularly update their anti-virus software.

Microsoft to Release Free Antivirus Package: Microsoft Security Essentials

Microsoft is preparing to go head to head with some of the big names in antivirus and security by releasing its own free anti-virus solution entitled "Microsoft Security Essentials." The product aims to compete directly with paid antivirus solutions such as Norton Antivirus, McAffee, and Nod32.

From Microsoft: "With Microsoft Security Essentials Beta, you get high-quality protection against viruses and spyware, including Trojans, worms and other malicious software. And best of all, there are no costs or annoying subscriptions to keep track of."

I have recently been beta testing the program and have noticed several great features including:

- Free of charge

- Great Virus detection rates

- Low memory footprint

- Quick scanning

- Auto-updating

- Scheduled scans

For these reasons, Microsoft Security Essentials has already become my anti-virus solution of choice. I have particularly enjoyed the free cost, and low memory footprint which prevent the anti-virus from bogging down my computer.

While the beta program has closed, you can still find downloads for the Microsoft Security Essentials suite here (Softpedia). Also, you can read more about the anti-virus at Microsoft's official site.