Holiday - relax, have fun, meet family and friends... and be vigilant
Introduction
Major events, happenings and in general all kind of things that attract much interest, are also used as opportunities for cybercriminals, and function as stepping-stones for propagation of their programs.
The Christmas holiday season is due in a few days...
Christmas holiday's characteristics seen from a security point of view
| Christmas indeed arrives each year. So does a flow of malicious software, which uses this season as a trigger to trick people into performing actions, which puts them at risk. Opening program files and clicking on malicious links are typical examples. Thus, the themes are often related to Christmas, but the malware author's intent is usually to get your money into her possession. The days around Christmas and the New Year are also a time when more vulnerable computers than usual connect to the Internet. A very popular Christmas gift is a new computer, and the eager recipient of course wants to connect to the Internet and start surfing/gaming/etc. as soon as possible. However, this may not be the wisest thing to do without precautions. Holiday recommendations for new computer ownersBefore you connect your computer to the Internet, you should check that it is set up with a pesonal firewall and protection against malicious software (antivirus/antispyware protection). If this type of software is not installed, your first action after connecting to the Internet should be to acquire and install such programs. Information about Norman's security software for home users is available here. |  Avoid Attractive Yet Dangerous Holiday Content |
However, security software, which protects against malicious software, needs continuous updating with new malware signatures, and you must go on updating your security software - antivirus, antispyware etc. - daily (at least) through the holiday. Neither cybercriminals nor security companies stop their activity during the holiday.
When a PC is sold to an end user, it is most likely not updated with the latest available security patches to operating systems and applications. E.g. Microsoft released its monthly security patches for vulnerabilities in operating systems and applications just a few days ago (14h December). Other program updates may be published even closer to Christmas.
Immediately after connecting to the Internet (you are a multitasking person and can do this at the same time as you are getting the security software), it is therefore imperative to arrange for your computer to download the latest security updates that are available to your installed software.
Holiday recommendations for users of social networks
2010 has been a year when cybercriminals' activities targeting social networking communities have increased considerably. The worm Koobface for example, has been a threat to users of social networks throughout 2010.
Norman has written several security articles with topics related to social networking. Some of these articles are available from the links below. Regardless of whether you are a new participant in social networking or an experienced user, you may well use some holiday leisure time to read these articles.
- The pros and cons of using Facebook as THE device for communication and work
- Privacy and security in Social networks - part I
- Privacy and security in Social networks - part II
- Privacy and security in Social networks - part III
- Communication consolidation or security nightmare
You should expect that cybercriminals will use the Christmas holiday to try to infect your computer through the social network(s) in which you participate.
Note also that if you plan to be away from your home during all or parts of the holiday, advertising this on social networks - particularly if this information is free for everyone to see - may not be a wise move. Burglars have Internet access too.
Best wishes
Norman hopes that our customers, partners, and the Internet community in general, do not suffer from malware incidents in the weeks to come, and wishes you all A Merry Christmas and all the best for A Prosperous Year in 2011.
