A Few Simple Habits Do More To Stop Malware Than Any Software Ever Will
Protecting your business from malware comes down to a handful of habits: don’t click links you don’t trust, only download software from official sources, watch out for browser extensions that seem too good to be true, learn to spot the signs of a scam, and keep your passwords, software, and backups current. None of this requires deep technical knowledge, just a little awareness of what to watch for. Here’s a closer look at each one, along with what to do if something already slipped through.
No. Whether the link is on an official looking website or in an email that looks like it came from the right people, always make sure you trust the source of any link you click on. When in doubt, do a Google search for the company in question and go through their website to find what you’re looking for, rather than following a link.
If you download a copy of popular free software like Skype or Dropbox for example, make sure you’re getting it from the software creator’s official website. Software downloaded from 3rd party sites can often be bundled with lots of additional spyware or malware.
Browser extensions seem like a great idea at first. Who doesn’t want to save money or speed up their Internet? These features often come at a price though. Browser extensions often monitor and report on all your web browsing habits and could even compromise your security by tracking the keys you type, thus revealing usernames and passwords for any website you may visit.
Often automated emails and even entire websites designed to trick users into downloading malicious software are built entirely by automated programs nowadays. The upside is these “bots” often fail when it comes to simple things like spelling and grammar, giving the astute observer an easy way to sniff out a fake. Sometimes these grammatical errors and typos are even created intentionally to weed out the “smart” users, so the scammers don’t end up wasting their time.
Most attacks are passive attacks. Someone sends a phishing email, an email that looks like it came from a legitimate source but often links to a fake website designed to steal login usernames and passwords, or creates a fake website to lure people in. These types of attacks rely on a user clicking a link and downloading and installing bad software, or voluntarily typing login credentials into a fake website.
Active attacks, on the other hand, require no involvement from you the user. An active attack could be someone trying to gain access to your computer remotely, or it may involve them trying to crack your bank login password. In these instances, planning ahead is the only real way to protect yourself. First, use a strong password with a minimum of 8 to 12 characters using numbers, uppercase, lowercase, and special characters. Ensure your operating system is up to date. Make sure your OS firewall is on and working. If you have a wireless router like most people, make sure the software on it is also up to date. Never use unsecured wireless connections to do something that requires using a username, password, or credit card transaction, such as at the airport, mall, or an Internet cafe, since these are all typical places accounts get compromised, hacked, or acquire viruses. Next, get a reputable anti-virus program, keep it on, and keep it up to date.
The first step is to alert your financial institutions, such as banks and credit card companies, that you believe your username and passwords may have been compromised. Do this in person or over the phone. This will put them on alert to watch out for suspicious activity on your accounts. Next, change your passwords and get your computer, phone, or mobile device systems clean. If you think you can do it yourself, go for it, but in most cases we recommend contacting a professional service. If data was lost or damaged, restore it from your backup. You are doing backups, right?
Imagine you walk into your office and turn on your computer, when suddenly your PC catches fire, or worse yet, imagine walking up to your office building only to see it engulfed in flames. Stop and think for a second about what you just lost. Financial records, client data, emails, that family Christmas newsletter you’ve been working on for six months. Most of these things are stored in the cloud nowadays and can easily be pulled back down, but not everything is automatically getting saved there. Do yourself a huge favor and take the time to evaluate which parts of your data are getting backed up and which parts aren’t, then put in place a backup system that includes redundancy and off-site backups.
See A Real Phishing Email Example
Phishing is one of the ways malware gets onto a computer in the first place. These emails are built to look like they came from a legitimate source, and they rely on you clicking a link or downloading something you shouldn’t. Take a look at this example, an actual phishing email designed to scare someone into clicking and sharing information. Notice the urgent tone and the pressure to act right away, both are classic warning signs worth training your eye to catch.
Not sure what any of this means for your business, or where to start? Give us a call and we’ll point you in the right direction. For more information on malware protection, visit “Cyber Security for Small Businesses” by the FCC.
