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Computer problems for the holidays (and post holidays!)
Entry Feed TrackbackJust like everything else in your life, your computer seems to have - and cause you - problems during the holidays. Why is that? Well, there are a bunch of reasons. Hopefully this post will make you more attentive to what you click on, open etc. this holiday season. Please carry this advice into 2009 - as quote (unquote) “Great Post Holiday online sales” can truly start your new year off with a headache!
One of the first thing that most people ask: Why am I getting so much spam? The easy answer is the same reason you get more ads in the newspaper or on TV - it’s a buying season. Even though it’s annoying and you usually just delete them, spam emails are advertisements. They are sent to you in the hopes that you’ll click on it “for a great deal”.
The average amount of spam that is sent out during the holiday season increases almost 100%, possibly more. But that’s there trick, during the holidays you’re spending more time online, shopping for great deals, sending e-cards to your friends and family, and you tend to let your guard down. What can you do to protect yourself? The best option is to have a good spam filter that will block these emails before they reach you.
But what about my personal account? - The best way is to be careful with every email you open. During the holidays especially, you may receive emails saying you got an e-card from someone, but in reality it could be a spam email meant to have you download spyware or viruses. What I do personally, and advise others to do - Don’t open the emails right-away. If I get an e-card from a family member, I’ll email them back asking them if they sent me a card, and if so, then I’ll open it. While this creates an extra step, it’s far better to know what you’re clicking on then accidentally click something bad.
Beware of phishing - For those who don’t know, phishing is when someone creates an email or website that appears to be the valid site. The purpose of these sites or emails is to make you trust them enough to enter in some personal information, this information is then saved by the spammer or hacker and used for their own gain. They can get anything from your username and passwords to certain sites, or even your credit card or bank account information.
How can you avoid them? Be extra vigilant! If you’re bank is emailing you asking for your bank account information, don’t give it to them! They already have it, why would they be asking for it? If PayPal or Ebay is emailing you saying your last payment didn’t go through and you need to send your credit card info to validate the purchase, it’s a lie. Sites will not be sending you emails about these types of problems! If you ever have a question go to the actual website and check - any problems are going to be posted there - they’re not going to email you to ask you to enter your information. When in doubt, always play it safe - call the company directly and look into it. Nothing’s worse then having to deal with identity theft during the holidays.
Choose your websites wisely - Unfortunately, spammers aren’t the only bad guys working harder during the holidays, hackers are too. The best thing you can do is make sure you have an updated version of whatever antivirus program you have on your computer, and don’t go to sites you normally wouldn’t go to. If you’re online shopping for good deals, go to the websites that you know about, try to avoid the sites that say they’ll have the best deals around. Also steer clear of sites that look incomplete, very rough - or sketchy in any way. What I mean by this is: If you go to overstock.com or buy.com - those sites clearly look polished & professional, because they are trusted and real. Always make your online purchases on well known sites.
Pop-up Problems - Another huge problem that is growing in popularity lately: Pop-ups. These pop-ups may say that your antivirus is out of date, or that there is spy-ware on your machine. Most of these pop-ups ARE spy-ware and viruses in disguise. If you ever get a pop up like this just close it. Don’t click OK or anywhere on the pop up itself, just click the little x on the top right hand corner. Always close boxes like this as quickly as possible.
Use your noggin - The best piece of internet advice - not only for the holiday season -but during normal, everyday email checking & browsing - Just be careful. Trust your instincts. If you’re not sure what it is, then close it. It’s really usually just that simple as this. Of course, there are the virtually unavoidable exceptions that end up trapping people once in a while, but hopefully the advice in this post will steer you clear of harms way this holiday season!
Shaun Ahern
Network Engineer
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