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New Federal
Website Provides Users with Internet Safety and
Security Information
By Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist, The Examiner,
Beaumont, TX; radio & TV show host
Iwilsker(at)apcug.net
WEBSITES:
http://www.onguardonline.gov
http://www.onguardonline.gov/quiz
http://www.onguardonline.gov/stopthinkclick.html
http://onguardonline.gov/filecomplaint.html
http://onguardonline.gov/tutorials
The media has recently been rife with
stories about internet
scams, frauds, identity theft, pedophiles, and other malevolent
occurrences
that have happened on the internet. While there are many online
resources
providing informational websites to help prevent us from falling prey
to
internet victimization, a consortium of federal agencies has created
“OnGuard
Online” at www.onguardonline.gov. This consortium consists of the
Federal Trade
Commission (FTC), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United
States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Commerce
(DOC), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Materials are provided on this website to
inform and educate
the computer user about several of the most nefarious threats that
commonly
assail us as we enjoy the abundance of the internet. Topics currently
covered
are spyware, identity theft, phishing, spam scams, online shopping, P2P
(Peer-to-Peer) file sharing, and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol –
internet
telephony). There are also a series of online quizzes
(www.onguardonline.gov/quiz) where the user can test his knowledge on
the security risks associated with these topics. A series of
videos and tutorials on related topics, such as “Viruses and Worms”,
and
“Protect Your Privacy, Family, and PC” are also available at this site
(onguardonline.gov/tutorials). For those who have been victimized by
internet
miscreants, a resource is available to show the user where and how to
file
complaints with the appropriate federal and other agencies at
onguardonline.gov/filecomplaint.html.
Spyware is defined at this site as “…
software installed on
your computer without your consent to monitor or control your computer
use.”
Spyware can be used to steal your identity or capture your usernames,
passwords, and account numbers (keyloggers); compile personal surfing
profiles
for directed advertising or other purpose (some forms of tracking
cookies);
display unwanted pop-up ads, which may be pornographic (ad-ware),
redirect the
browser to other sites (browser hijacking); install unwanted links on
the
desktop or in the “favorites” or bookmarks; and a variety of other
unwanted and
possibly dangerous web related items. OnGuard Online provides links and
information on removing spyware, and protecting your computer from
spyware.
Identity theft is a scourge that may impact
as many as 10
million Americans each year, according to some sources. The incidence
of
identity theft through internet tricks, such as “Phishing” (typically
emails
directing the user to an authentic looking but counterfeit website
soliciting
credit card information, PIN numbers, etc.); “Pharming” (changing data
files or
“hosts” on the computer to redirect intentional visits to financial or
commercial
sites to counterfeit sites where valuable personal information is
illicitly
obtained) accounts for an increasingly significant portion of identity
theft.
OnGuard Online provides information on how to protect yourself from
Phishing
scams, and how to protect your identity while online, as well as
instructions
on dealing with identity theft if victimized.
Some internet security companies report that
the amount of
spam, or unsolicited commercial email, can easily amount to 60 to 80
percent of
all emails sent. According to this website, details are provided on the
major
spam scams currently in circulation. The top 10 spam scams are: The
“Nigerian”
Email Scam (may also appear to be from Russia, Columbia, England, or
other
sources); Phishing; Work-at-Home Scams; Weight Loss Claims; Foreign
Lotteries
(Congratulations, you are a winner in the Spanish / British / Canadian
Lottery!); Cure-All Products; Check
Overpayment Scams (I have a large cashier’s check – cash it, keep some,
and
wire me the difference); Pay-in-Advance Credit Offers; Debt Relief; and
Investment Schemes (buy this penny stock – it will quintuple in a few
days).
Sadly, many gullible internet users still fall for these scams
enriching the
crooks, and typically receiving nothing worthwhile in return.
Millions of internet users shopped online
during the holiday
season, and still continue to do so at online retailers, or popular
auction
sites such as Ebay. While most online shoppers have been successful,
and had
few problems, there are also thousands who have been victimized to some
degree
by internet crooks. This site explains a series of safe shopping tips,
including “Know who you’re dealing with; Know exactly what you’re
buying; Know what it will cost (including shipping, taxes,
and other charges); Pay by credit or charge card; Check out the terms
of the
deal; and Print and save records of your online transactions.”
“Peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing allows
users to share files
online through an informal network of computers running the same
software.”
People, especially children and college students, use these P2P
networks to
exchange software, music, videos, and other files. While there is much
material
that can legitimately be exchanged, P2P is also often a source of
spyware,
viruses, and illicit and illegal copies of pirated software, music, and
other
intellectual property. This site lists many of the risks common with
these P2P services, and how to safely utilize such
services.
You have likely seen the ads on TV, as well
as displays at
the electronics and mass merchandising stores for “VoIP”, services that
allow
the broadband internet user to make local and long distance phone calls
over
the internet for a flat monthly fee. While expanding on popularity, the
path
has been bumpy, as some subscribers have been dissatisfied with the
service.
Issues and service such as “911” calls, while addressed in regulations,
are
still not universally implemented on many VoIP systems. The
OnGuardOnline
website also explains what many local VoIP users
painfully found out during the recent spate of hurricanes and other
storms, that
if there is no power, or internet service is otherwise inaccessible,
the VoIP
services generally do not function, leaving the user without phone
service.
The OnGuard Online site “Stop – Think –
Click: 7 Practices
for Safer Computing” (onguardonline.gov/stopthinkclick.html) reiterates
the oft
stated common sense warnings that all computer users should be aware
of, and
implement:
1. Protect your personal information. It's
valuable.
2. Know who you're dealing with.
3. Use anti-virus software and a firewall, and update both
regularly.
4. Make sure your operating system and Web browser are set
up properly and update them regularly.
5. Protect your passwords.
6. Back up important files.
7. Learn who to contact if something goes wrong online.
If the information on the OnGuard Online websites is
utilized, we will all have a safer and more enjoyable internet
experience.
There is no restriction against any
non-profit group using
this article as long as it is kept in context with proper credit given
the
author. The Editorial Committee of the
Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international
organization of which this group is a member, brings this article to
you.
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