We’ve all heard about phishing right, where you get emails from supposed respectable companies  and banks asking you to update your data and they are really just hoax emails from scammers. I know, companies like even  Paypal and  HSBC bank have been used in the effort to con some unsuspecting users to divulge information and passwords in order to siphon out your money or worse steal your identity…worse case of life imitating art…

Now even SMSes are not spared , have you ever received one of those? Two days ago I received an SMS informing me that I  won RM15,000 from Shell because my SIM card had been chosen in a lucky draw , which was curious. The call back number was a  handphone number and had  a guy with bad PR who refuses or was probably unable to verify himself and the “lucky” win although he did get the Shell HQ address right and hung up on me when pressed further. Well , I would have loved to win RM15,000 and as much as I believe in the Law of Attraction (now you know), something just didn’t click about the SMS and when all he wanted was to “fish ” for my personal info like full  name etc. Subsequent checking later revealed the company name of Shell typed in the SMS was wrong ie it was typed as Syarikat Shell Sdn. Bhd. which is not their corporate name and that the return call is to a private handphone number…so beware…  I lucked out on a fifteen grand “windfall” but gained wisdom ….

I digress of course, however internet security is a serious matter which we should all be aware of and take precautions against because the internet is a big part of our lives, at least if you are reading this it most probably is a major part of yours and I totally agree with Mr Schneier that criminals will go where the action (money) is.

Sp please read an excerpt of an interview  by STAR with Bruce Schneier ,  world renowned internet technologist and in fact is known as a “security guru” according to “The Economist” for the internet world on how  home users can improve their security.

Here’s what he says on some simple network hygiene practices, which I find to be quite basic and okay, workable and user friendly for me.

  1. Turn off the computer when you’re not using the computer especially the “always on internet conection”
  2. Keep laptop and PDA with you always like you would  your wallet.
  3. Back up data regularly
  4. Set up automatic update to receive security patches.
  5. Limit number of applications installed per machine.
  6. Limit the use of cookies and applets.
  7. Keep in mind that SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption provided does not mean that the vendor is trustworthy or that its customer information is secure.
  8. Think before you do business with a website, limit the financial and personal data given.
  9. Never reuse a password for something you care about.
  10. Assume that all PINS (personal Indentification numbers) can be easily broken and plan accordingly.
  11. Never type password  for a service like a bank account without  an SSL encrypted page. If the bank or vendor says it is okay, complain to them . It is not okay.
  12. Turn off HTML emails, don’t assume  that any email from the  “From” is really the real deal. Delete spam without reading.
  13. Use either a combination or separate antivirus and antispyware.Always update.
  14. Use personal firewall software, if can, hide your  IP address.
  15. Install email and file encryptor, so that you can send sensitive files this way.

These are just some healthy network hygiene methods although not necessary foolproof and a case where prevention is better than cure I guess, so that your unfriendly neighborhood hacker don’t get to come in and mess with your personal info and stuffs.

Well, they did forwarn us that whilst technology can speed up our lives and make shopping from your couch easy and safe amongst other uses, it isn’t without some risk like everything else.So we have to be responsible to ensure that we are adequately protected. See it as precautions that you would take for your brick and mortar home.   lols:-)

To read more about Bruce Schneier surf to www.schneier.com or get his books “Applied Cryptography” and his current book “Beyond Fear“.

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