Showing posts with label week 4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label week 4. Show all posts

Review are based on "New Spamming Tactics" which posted on the My E-Commerce blog.

Spamming would be arise as irritating issues for almost everyone for us. How to consider an email is a spam mail? When you received a particular email which from the unknown source, unknown organization, or unknown person such situation may consider that the email is a spam mail. Such email would create harm to us if we simply clicked it because of our curiousity.




Although Anti-Spamware are available in current, but it is not 100% guaranteed that it will avoid your computer from receiving any spam mail. Initially, spam mail or junk mail were for the advertisement purpose because an organization would save alot of cost by advertise their product through network.



You may asked "Who is the first to send spam mail and how spam email start to spread on the network?" Well according to Brad who discussed the spamming issues in this particular hyperlink
http://www.templetons.com/brad/spamterm.html, he said that the first spam were discovered in the year 1978 which is from the marketer of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). You may not heard of DEC because this company were owned by Compaq. Previously, DEC was the leader in minicomputer market.

DEC wanted to promote his new product (DED-20), thus they decided to send a notice to everybody on the ARPANET (which previously there was a printed directory of everybody on ARPANET which they used as source for the list)

For the time being, there are several new spamming method appeared in the network, which is PDF spam, Piggyback spam, and Greeting card spam.


User may become a victim of spam in an unawareness situation, like PDF spam. Because most of the spam filter unable to screen the content of the PDF.file. Thus, users may click such PDF file and read it.

Piggyback spam come with higher graphical looking, and it create mind set for user that such mail is came from large retailers. The link contained in the email will lead to the installation of the melware or spyware once you clicked it. After that, such spam mail will send out from your computer to anothers. Such situation just like exactly the term "piggyback" because you'll turn out to be the one who carry a spam mail at your back and send it to others.



For the Greeting Card spam, it cause more harmful to us. Because it contained viruses with it. Users may not aware and click such link to see the greeting card but end up their computer will attacked by virus. If you're curious about it, and you want to give a shoot for this, make sure you have the lastest and strong anti-virus software. But such action are not recommended by me. Try at your own risk!



Here is some recommendation, before clicking any links from the unknown email. Please check where such link is directed by scroll your mouse over the link.

Stay Alert! Don't become a victim of spam mail or the lastest spam method like I mentioned above because of your curiousity.

For further knowledge of the solution by prevent yourself to become one of the victims, you make refer to this link http://ecommerze.blogspot.com/2007/08/new-spamming-tactics.html which disccused by our Universities Senior Lecturer Mr. Hen.


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After the briefly introduction of five of the online security threat, we realize that it is important to take step to protect our information from the threat. So, we have discovered 5 steps to prevent cyber fraud.

Firstly, install and update antispyware and antivirus programs. Nowadays, many vendors offer users more advance and cheaper antispyware and antivirus program and also offer user regular updates to existing antispyware programs. As for antivirus protection, Symantec and Norton antivirus are popular choices among the online user.



Next, install a firewall which is a software program designed to allow good people in and keep bad people out. Most new computers come with firewalls integrated into their operating systems. Hence, those who have a DSL or cable modem have an added layer of protection because these modems come with yet another firewall built in.



Another method is to avoid accessing financial information in public which mean that resist logging on to check your bank balance when working from a coffee shop that offers wireless access and add password for accessing your financial information.



Besides that, updates your browser on a regular basis can help plug up security holes, so make it a habit. Do remember to look for "locks” as the web address should start with "https," instead of "http,". And, look for small lock icon in the lower-right corner of the browser window.


How Safe is Our Data ?
The Internet is a worldwide, publicly accessible series of interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet switching using the standard Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). We use internet for various purposes such as instant messaging, online banking, and files sharing. Information has being transferred in many ways. Therefore online security has become an important aspect.

Every day there are new viruses and security threats that are launched all over the Internet, our personal and financial data are getting more unsecured. In order to safeguard our data online, firstly we must have knowledge for the dangers on the Internet and how those threats can affect you, you’re PC and your information to be it personal, financial, family or business.



The five of main online security threats are:
1) Virus and Worm
Virus is a man-made computer program that infects a file or program on our computers while Worm is also a man-made program that replicates itself and it will spread itself automatically to other computers through email, over a network and via Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Both can steal addresses held in our computer to send on virus-infected emails to our friends, colleagues, clients or customers. Hence, it sends unsolicited bulk email (spam) to those in our mail address books and other users.


2) Trojan Horse
It is similar to viruses as they are one of the most destructive of the Internet and it is favored by crackers and spy ware writers. It can be programmed to automatically send any information on our PCs back to the attacker such as Credit card details, Client or customer information or other business data.



3) Spyware
It is software that is installed on our hard drive to gather information about us and our computer habits. It then transmits it through our Internet connection to a third party, usually without our knowledge or consent.


4) Tracking Cookies
When we browse web sites, the web server for the web site sends a cookie to our web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer), which it then stores on our computer hard drive. And, it often used by advertisers to track our browsing and buying habits and creates profiles of users for targeted marketing. 　




5) Hacker/Cracker
It refers to those who break security on a computer system. They can use our computers to send out spam or attack other computers on the Internet and all this can be done without our knowledge.


Reference:

1. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_online_security_threats_for_2009.php
2. http://www.tech-faq.com/online-security-threats.shtml
3. http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how_to/4287844.html
4. http://www.guard-privacy-and-online-security.com/how-do-you-stay-safe-on-the-internet.html


Phishing is a type of social engineering attack in which fraudulent communications are used to trick the user into giving out sensitive information, such as passwords, bank account information and other confidential details.

 A phishing attack usually involves a fake communication, supposedly from a trusted corporation or institution, which uses an alarming pretext such as "restoring access to a bank account" to pressure the user into providing their sensitive details. The communication is most commonly done via e-mail, but phishing attacks by instant messages and SMSes are also known.


Phishing e-mails can appear to be from any bank, PayPal, eBay, credit card companies, and an online retail store.




Here are few steps to spot a phishing e-mail:


1. The "From Field" appears to be from the legitimate company mentioned in the e-mail. It is important to note, however, that it is very simple to change the "from" information in any e-mail client


2. The e-mail will usually contain logos or images of the company which mentioned in the scam e-mail. These are usually GIF files taken from the authentic company’s website.


3. The e-mail will contain a clickable link with text suggesting you use the inserted link to validate your information. In the image you will see that once the hyperlink is highlighted, the bottom left of the screen shows the real Web site address to which you will go. Note that the hyperlink does NOT point to the legitimate Citibank Web site URL.


In this instance, the text you click is "here", However, this may also state something like "Log-in to Citibank" or "www.citibank.com/secure" to be even more misleading. This clickable area is only text and can be changed to anything the sender wants it to read.


4. The golden rule to avoid being phished is to never ever click the links within the text of the e-mail.



Examples of phrases to look in a phishing scam e-mails :



"Verify your account."


Businesses should not ask you to send passwords, login names, Social Security numbers, or other personal information through e-mail.

To learn more, read Fraudulent e-mail that requests credit card information sent to Microsoft customers






"You have won the lottery"


The lottery scam is a common phishing scam known as advanced fee fraud. One of the most common forms of advanced fee fraud is a message that claims that you have won a large sum of money which often includes references to big companies, such as Microsoft. There is no Microsoft lottery.



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Ong Wen Yi (winnie)
Woo Kok Keong (victor)
Yoon Chee Weng (Weng)


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