Articles

Preventative Medicine

Like staying healthy when traveling abroad, protecting yourself on the Internet is all about prevention.

When it comes to staying safe in a connected world, experts agree that an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. But since 95% of the world’s population is on the metric system, it’s important to otherwise enumerate those preventative measures, and how you can embark on your online journey with confidence.

Here’s how it adds up:

Pack intelligently

Choosing the right gear for your destination and the time of year means you stay dry, and stay comfortable, no matter what. For some trips that means flannel pajamas and a Mexican wrestling mask. For others, it’s plenty of SPF 45 and your favorite Smurf’s beach blanket. For the Web, select an Internet security solution that combines antivirus, firewall, intrusion detection, and vulnerability management for maximum protection against malicious code and other threats. If you’re not sure you’ve got the right tools to pack appropriately, consider a trialware download of Norton Internet Security 2008, or other Norton products.

Keep your documentation current

Online, there are no border patrol agents to bribe, and no “favors” to grant local officials when things get sticky, so you will want to ensure that security patches are up-to-date and that they are applied to all vulnerable applications in a timely manner, on a regular basis.

By the same token, you are going to want to keep virus definitions updated regularly. Deploying the latest virus definitions is as logical as packing antibiotics and insect repellent during typhoon season: you protect yourself against the latest bugs known to be spreading.

Put up a decent fight

Out in the world, anti-theft tools like hotels safes and money belts work, provided that you use them. Same goes for your online passwords—they are only as strong as you choose to make them. So avoid dictionary words and combinations including your name or personal data. For an eight-letter password using both upper and lower case letters, there are 53 trillion possible combinations. Substitute a number for one of the letters, and it quadruples. Imagine a thief having to guess in which of your 200 trillion pants pockets you’ve stashed your wallet!¹

Develop cross-cultural literacy

Most friendly locals are just that—genuinely good folks looking to share their culture and their filling, ”acquired taste” cuisine with newcomers. A few, however, are a bit more predatory. Just like travelers must learn to “read” people and their intentions, computer users need to know how to recognize computer hoaxes and phishing scams.

Hoaxes, like pyramid schemes, typically include an email that exhorts the recipient to “send this to everyone you know” or improper technical jargon intended to frighten or mislead users. Phishing scams appear to come from a legitimate organization but entice users to enter credit card or other confidential information into forms on a Web site designed to look like that of the legitimate organization.

Just as you should never let a random stranger at the airport “carry” your bags for you “just out to the curb,” you should never disclose confidential information without confirming that the request is legitimate. And just as you would never accept lavish gifts or offers from a total stranger, never view, open, or execute any email attachment unless the attachment is expected and the purpose of the attachment is known.

Both spyware and adware can be automatically installed on a computer along with file-sharing programs, free downloads, and freeware and shareware versions of software, or by clicking on links and/or attachments in email messages, or via instant messaging clients. Therefore, you should be informed and selective about what you install on your computer.

Beware of programs that flash ads in the user interface. Legitimate software programs, like truly benevolent acquaintances, would never abruptly interrupt an otherwise pleasant conversation to offer you a product or service at random. Many spyware programs track how users respond to these ads, and their presence is a red flag. When you see ads in a program’s user interface, you may be looking at a piece of spyware. Don’t click on ads that appear unexpectedly in your browser window. Instead, close the window immediately.

Learn to say “no, thank you!” in several languages

Generous offers of hospitality are hard to pass up, especially when one is far from home. And even though all sumptuous twelve-course meals enjoyed in the homes of prosperous local merchants may look the same, it is difficult to be certain whether at the end of the meal one will be expected to marry the host’s eldest daughter.

In much the same way, End-User Licensing Agreements (EULAs) are not created equally. Some spyware and adware applications can be installed after you accept the EULA, or as a consequence of that acceptance. The agreement should clearly explain what the product is doing and provide a way to uninstall it.

Don’t just click those “Yes, I accept” buttons on EULAs. Some spyware and adware applications can be installed after you accept the EULA, or as a consequence of that acceptance. Read EULAs carefully to examine what they mean in terms of privacy. The agreement should clearly explain what the product is doing and provide a way to uninstall it.

And of course, never agree to marry anyone you haven’t actually met in person. At least not without a watertight pre-nup.

Look to the real experts for advice

Not only is your PC or Macintosh ® system vulnerable to threats: your peace of mind, as well, can succumb to the well-intentioned, but often misinformed (and occasionally paranoiac) counsel of well-meaning friends and colleagues. Much like the state department issues travel advisories for flash points around the world, the Symantec Threat Explorer will keep you abreast of current conditions and potential threats of which you need to be aware. And Symantec Security Check gives you a quick way to self-diagnose your condition if you feel you might have brought a little something home from the road.

Happy trails!

¹ [source Texas A&M Web site: http://rf-web.tamu.edu/]