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A recent article in Information Week quotes the chairman and
CEO of prominent antivirus company Symantec as saying that the problem of worms
and viruses is ‘solved,' and that internet users today should be much more
worried about Phishing, fraud, and other online scams. While it is true that
scam-based cyber crime is on the rise and fast becoming more of a threat than
the old-school virus problem, this should not be interpreted to mean that
viruses, spyware, adware, and other malware are no longer an issue.
Yes, there have been many more cautionary tales online
concerning people-driven scams, such as internet auction fraud, lottery scams,
phishing, Pharming, and similar threats. But considering the virus problem as
one that is "solved" is a dangerous assumption. The existence of powerful firewalls,
antivirus software, and educational information allows home users to secure
their computers, which has rendered viruses and spyware less of a threat. But
make no mistake - there are plenty of viruses and harmful malware in the wild,
and being lax on computer security could ensure you learn the hard way how
unsolved the virus problem is.
Virus and malware threats have by no means wandered away and
gotten lost. Symantec's own online virus log lists over 30 detected
viruses for the first half of October alone. Add to that the use of keyloggers
and spyware implemented in some phishing scams, and it is clear that users
can't afford to slack off on antivirus protection.
Computer viruses were named so because their method of
spreading from computer to computer mimics the processes through which viruses
spread from person to person. So, think of what people do to avoid being
infected with, say, the common cold: they take preventative measures. They do
things like wash their hands, take vitamins, and try to avoid infected people.
Those who don't take preventative measures are much more likely to get sick,
and will then have to spend energy, time, and money fighting off an infection
that could have been avoided in the first place. Similarly, internet users who
neglect to take preventative measures to avoid contracting a computer virus
will likely find themselves spending energy, time, and money on the phone with
technical support, trying to recover their files or, worse yet, on the phone
with the police, trying to figure out how that much money could just disappear
from their bank accounts.
The aforementioned article was correct when it stated that
phishing, fraud, and other scams currently are more prevalent online threats than viruses
and spyware, but to make the statement that the virus problem is "solved" could
be misleading to many, possibly causing some people to think they no longer
need to worry about protecting their computers. It would be a shame if users
were to focus so intently on avoiding internet fraud or some similar scam that
they neglected to keep their antivirus software current and were infected by
an easily preventable virus.
When it comes to computer security, you can't be too
careful. To
make sure your computer is properly guarded from the threat of malware, be sure
to:
- Install antivirus software that scans for and removes viruses, spyware, and adware on your computer
- Install a popup blocker
- Install and run a firewall to keep hackers and attackers at bay
- Install a threat scanner to periodically scan for malware
- Update your software and computer programs regularly
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