6 Myths about Internet Safety

“Internet Safety” the term has been getting vague with the increasing virus outbreaks nowdays. PC Magazine once conducted a survey in which they asked the participants to rate their broadband ISP services and the results were astonishing. Most of users didn’t completely understand the seriousness of potential threats or how to protect their PCs. Here are the top 6 Myths about safe surfing over internet.

Myth 1 – Nothing Valuable is on the Computer, so I don’t have to worry about security. Your PC can be infected over internet

Long time ago,this was partially true… but the hybrid worms and viruses of today like Blaster, hidrag and others blindly spread across internet to thousands or millions of PCs in a matter of hours, without regard for who owns them, what is  stored there, or the value of the information they hold for the sole purpose of wreaking havoc. Even if your computer is not attacked directly, it can be used as a zombie to launch a denial-of-service or other attack on a network or to send spam or pornography to other PCs without being traced. Therefore, your civic responsibility is to protect your PC so that others are protected.

Myth 2 – I can protect my PC if I disconnect from the Internet or turn it off when I’m not using it.

Wrong. You are a target, If you connect to the Internet at all. You could download a virus when you connect to internet and it may not be activated immediately, not until you read your email offline days after. Viruses nowadays spread wildly through USB/Pen drives, pirated cd’s or torrents or file from networks. But now you can protect your business from internet threats with the top web security software

Myth 3 – I can protect myself from viruses by not opening suspicious e-mail attachments. Some viruses simply get activated by reading or previewing an e-mail

Wrong again. The next virus you get may come from your best friend’s or boss’ computer if his e-mail address book was compromised for simulating an attack. Hybrid worms can enter through the Web browser through loopholes and it is possible to activate some viruses simply by reading or previewing an e-mail. You simply must have a PC-based antivirus package or a firewall.

Myth 4 – I have a Macintosh (or a Linux-based system), not a Windows system, so I don’t have to worry about being attacked.

It is true that most attacks target Microsoft Windows–based PCs, but there have been attacks against Mac OS and Linux systems as well. Some experts have predicted that the Mac virus problem will get worse, because Mac OS X uses a version of Unix. And although these systems have some useful security features, they can still be attacked.

Myth 5 – My system came with an Anti-virus package, so I’m protected.

Installing Antivirus Software is Sufficient

Not quite. Firstly, if you haven’t activated your antivirus to scan incoming web traffic automatically, you don’t have a good Anti-virus and malware protection software. Secondly, new threats appear daily, so an antivirus package is only as good as its last update so its a must to activate the auto-update features to keep your guard up against the latest  threats. Thirdly, an antivirus package can’t protect you from every threat. Malwares, spywares are running in the wild out there and every now and then malicious code penetrate weak systems. You need a combination of solutions, including, at minimum, antivirus, a personal firewall ,an anti spyware/malware package and a plan for keeping your operating system and software up to date with security patches
Antivirus software is a commonly known requirement for Internet security. However, the myth that antivirus installed is all that is needed for protection is dangerous for Internet surfers. Installing antivirus software is the start of Internet security. Constant installation of the latest virus definition files is required. Most reputable antivirus software has monthly updates for definition files. Download them to ensure the computer can recognize newest threats.

Myth 6-Hackers Only Target Specific People

The Department of Homeland Security disputes this train of thought. This is a common thought for home users. Several scripts are available that allow others to find security holes on a computer. These people are called “script kiddies.” Script kiddies run common programs that find the security issues on machines that don’t have the latest security patches. For the best protection, purchase an antivirus program that protects against all types of hack attacks.
The best protection against Internet malware is avoiding websites that are suspicious. Choose a web browser like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox to ensure the latest websites listed as attack sites are blocked when finding them in the search results. Don’t have a false sense of security and ensure the latest definition files are applied.