gramesmith70: Knowledge is power when it comes to online security : Tech Digest

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Knowledge is power when it comes to online security : Tech Digest

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Forewarned is forearmed when it comes to protection against online security threats. This is why Symantec Website Security Solutions has created an easy-to-follow Malware Infographic to raise awareness about the hazards posed by malicious software; and to provide tips to avoid the pitfalls.

Online threats

Malware is malicious software which damages, disables or disrupts computers and computer systems, usually to gain access to sensitive material such as passwords and financial details; or even to gain control of the computer itself.

It is a wide term that covers not only computer viruses like Trojan horses (which pretend to be useful software until after installation), worms (which replicate themselves and can spread through people's email address books) and spyware (which secretly records and transmits the activities of a computer back to fraudsters).

Unfortunately, the number of malware attacks is increasing, with Symantec's Internet Security Threat Report in April 2012 revealing it had blocked more than 5.5 billion malware attacks in 2011, an 81% increase compared to 2010. Be informed, stay safe and share the knowledge It also identified 403 million new variants of malware in 2011, a 41% increase on 2010.

Be informed, stay safe and share the knowledge According to the Malware

Infographic, 61% of malicious sites which spread malware are just regular websites that have been compromised while 36% of websites scanned by Symantec are vulnerable to the risk of malware. This makes the threats to businesses both difficult to identify and numerous.

However, the infographic also shows where the majority of these malware threats come from as well as gives advice about how to exercise precaution when online and receiving unsolicited emails; making it an indispensible guide to help the savvy web user keep their computer and website malware-free.

One piece of advice outlined is to only share sensitive information online where there is a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) padlock in the browser's address bar. The padlock means that a web user can be confident that the website has up-to-date SSL Certificates, is also protected with a strong encryption, assessed for vulnerability and scanned daily for malware.

There are also handy links to share the infographic, either through embedding it onto a business webpage to spread the message further, or via Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn; so that family, friends and colleagues can be armed with the information to protect themselves while they go online. Symantec releases a regular Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR) - next volume to be released shortly. Keep an eye out for these in order to help you stay up to date with key developments.