4 common Internet attacks,
  and how to avoid them.

By: Abbie Drew - DEMC Editor

"Are You Scared? You Should Be!"

While today's title may be a bit dramatic, (it's my flare for drama coming out, sorry;-) the topic I'm going to discuss in actuality is quite disturbing. The simple fact is, if you're connected to the Internet and have an email account, you're at risk.

Today's Internet environment, unfortunately, is less than friendly. There has been a massive proliferation of scams, viruses, hackers, hoaxes and more, setting traps for the unsuspecting and unwary. Between the scams, like the "Citibank" email which went out over the weekend asking for checking account information, to the worm trying to exploit a hole in XP, if you're doing business on the Internet you have to be smart and you have to be prepared.

First let me say, I am not a security expert. However, as an active online business person I am a target. Therefore, I make sure I use common sense and I am always careful to protect my computer and my business.

If you're online, you need to be aware of 4 common Internet attacks and how to avoid them:

1) Avoiding Email Scams

Scam offers frequently arrive by email. If you receive an email requesting payment or personal information think before you act. Ask yourself if you've ever even heard of the company, if not then delete the email.

If the email appears to be from a company you do do business with, then check the full header of the email. With so many scams and viruses these days, it's a good idea to understand the basics about the header of an email message so you can see where an email is really coming from. If you're not familiar with email headers, here's what you should look for in a header.

You want to find the name of the server which actually sent out the email. When looking at the header search for the word "Received:". After the word the name of the server which sent you the email is listed.

As an example, take a look at the full header of this issue of DEMC E-Magazine, you'll see after the word "Received:" it says - from lyris.demc.com . Note how our mail server name matches the "From" address of the email after the @ sign, where it shows - @lyris.demc.com .
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When the server which sent the email and the "From" address of the email match it is likely the email came from the company. Scam emails try to hide where they are coming from so they can not be tracked, therefore the server's name and email's "From" address usually do not match.

If after checking the header you're still unsure about the email's validity, it never hurts to go to that company's web site and contact the company directly to ask if they sent you the email message.

2) Avoiding Online Business Scammers

Yes, there are disreputable businesses. They exist both on and off the Internet, however, the Internet makes it easier for unscrupulous people to deceive others.

To avoid a scamming online businesses do your homework. If you like the looks of a business' offering, first investigate the company and the offer. Make sure you can contact the company and that they respond back to your questions. Also look up the company by doing a search on its name in an engine and see if you're overwhelmed with negative responses. Finally, it never hurts to ask for a reference or two in order to learn more about a business.

3) Avoiding Hacker Attacks

When you make a connection to the Internet your computer is vulnerable to hackers. They can find ways into your computer to see what's on your machine as well as move, delete and copy your files. Your best protection against hackers snooping around your computer is a firewall.

As I am not an expert on firewalls, I am going to recommend you review the Gibson Research Corporation site at - https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2 . You'll find their "Shields Up" is a terrific free resource.

It's worth taking a minute to review the vulnerabilities of your computer. I expect your computer stores sensitive business information, you want to be sure is protected. You'll find numerous suggestions and recommendations on securing your Internet connection at GRC.com. Plus a number of good firewalls are reviewed. (One of their top firewall recommendations, ZoneAlarm, even has a free version, leaving you no excuse to not get protected!)

4) Avoid Contracting a Virus

Viruses and worms are rampant these days. Everyday, my incoming email is loaded with virus files that have to be deleted.

Never opening an attachment delivered with your email will help protect you to a certain degree. But with HTML email, viruses can be embedded in the HTML and just viewing the message can lead to problems. Because of viruses embedded in HTML, even surfing the web, can cause your computer to contract a virus.

The solution is anti-virus software. Please realize, if you acquired anti-virus software 2 years ago, it's no longer going to be effective. New viruses, Trojan horses and worms are constantly being let loose on the Internet. As a result you need to regularly be updating your anti-virus software.

I currently do not know of any free anti-virus software on the market which is updated sufficiently. However, you can find a number of reasonably priced software solutions which are highly rated such as Norton, McAffe, or PC-cillin.

If you want to check your computer today to see if you have a virus, Symantec offers a free tool at - http://www.symantec.com/homecomputing/ (Follow the link under Community Center for "Symantec Security Check".)

When looking for anti-virus software, in addition to being sure it provides regular updates, make sure the anti-virus software integrates easily with your email program. As email is one the main communication tools you use to connect with customers you want to make sure you can easily send and receive emails without contracting or spreading a virus.

Yes, taking these steps to protect yourself may seem tedious but it is well worth the effort. When conducting business on the Internet it is better to live by the motto "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".

The health of your business depends upon it!

Abbie Drew
DEMC Editor