More tips for safe online shopping from Comcast

Jay Opperman, Senior Director of Security and Privacy at Comcast offers some tips for safe online shopping  that I have summarized below.  The link to Jay's post is:

http://blog.comcast.com/2010/12/tis-the-season-to-shop-safely.html

Tip 1: Use anti-virus and anti-phishing software and tools -- Install active and up-to-date reputable anti-virus software on all computers to detect and remove viruses and keyloggers that can steal your identity when using credit cards or banking online. Make sure to also install anti-phishing software to ensure you don't get tricked by these kinds of online scams. Some Internet Service Providers, like Comcast, provide free anti-virus software...

Tip 2: "S" means "secure" -- When shopping on the Web, be sure you see "HTTPS://" (the "S" stands for "secure") at the beginning of the URL for any site where you plan to enter financial information. Look for a lock or a similar icon in the browser indicating that you are connected to a secure site.

Tip 3: Secure your wireless network -- It's important to secure access to home or personal networks with a password to make sure that others cannot access any personal information by hopping on to your wireless network. Remember, strong passwords have eight or more characters that combine numbers, symbols and letters.

Tip 4: Be careful on what you click -- If you receive an unsolicited commercial e-mail, do not open any attached file whose name ends in ".exe." Clicking on such files could activate a virus that could infect your computer. In addition, don't click on links in e-mails for online retailers instead type the URL directly into your browser.

Tip 5: Above all, be skeptical -- If an online offer seems too good to be true, it could be a scam which is why you should shop from the online retailers that your trust.

Shopping Safely Online - Cyber Security Tip ST07-001

This tip was just published on the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team web site just in time for the holiday shopping season.  This year is shaping up to be a record year for ecommerce so the advice is even more important than ever.  

Many of the tips, including "Use and maintain anti-virus software..."  are things we know, but a it's a good idea to refresh our memory.

"Online shopping has become a popular way to purchase items without the hassles of traffic and crowds. However, the internet has unique risks, so it is important to take steps to protect yourself when shopping online."

Read the full article with all the tips here:

http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ST07-001.html

Doing Our Part to Ensure Facebook Safety

Yesterday, Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised new privacy controls in the Washington Post, amid some criticism of the site’s recent changes. Kudos to Zuckerberg for stepping up and reinforcing Facebook’s commitment to users. In the Washington Post, Zuckerberg  points out, "there needs to be a simpler way to control your information.” And "in the coming weeks, we will add privacy controls that are much simpler to use." Great! But what he didn’t address was the troubling influx of malware on the site in recent weeks.

Let’s recap. There was the free giftcard scam, the Facebook worm, the beach babe virus, the “sexiest video ever,” among others. The malware that users share on Facebook spreads like wildfire because Facebook's viral sharing hooks really work, even if the content being shared is damaging to end users. 

We know that Facebook’s security team is hard at work trying to combat the malware issues that arise when criminal hackers are financially motivated to prey upon Facebook’s 400 million active users. However, while Facebook is doing what it can to keep us safe through their own security controls and through user education (like the Facebook Security page), ultimately the responsibility to protect -  both ourselves and our networks - falls on us. Facebook has no control over what software you do or don't have installed on your PC to protect yourself, but you can see why Facebook would be a safer community if every user on Facebook had real-time, effective antivirus protection that they could easily share for free. 

With antivirus products like Immunet Protect that are specifically tailored protect users of social networks like Facebook, it’s never been easier to be safer online, or easier to protect your community. It takes seconds to download protection that will last you a lifetime. What are you waiting for?