To Tweet or Not to Tweet?
By Kaden Pownall
Here at Bulldog Information Technologies we care about our clients. Not only do we want to fix your computer when it has problems, we also want to help you prevent problems with your computer. In this day and age the biggest problem people encounter with their computers involves an infection of some sort, namely Spyware and Malware (true computer viruses are pretty rare these days). In this article we are going to discuss how to avoid Malware on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. These sites are quite popular and have many positives. However, due to their popularity they are also populated with hackers whose only goal is to infect your computer. As a computer consultant, I check out a lot of computers that are “just acting funny.” The majority of these computers have been used on Facebook and Myspace or other social networking sites. With that in mind, Bulldog Information Technologies has put together some tips to help you avoid Malware.
1. Protection, Protection, Protection! Without sufficient anti-virus and malware protection programs installed, social networking users can easily become victims to these ever-evolving attacks. There are a number of these anti-virus programs available. Contact us for a free consultation on what program would be best for you.
2. Beware The Link! One of the most common ways for a hacker to infect your computer is with a malicious link. These are posted to either your Twitter or Facebook wall. Once you click on them you are directed to a site that infects your computer with Malware. This is vicious stuff and once it is on your computer a hacker can do serious damage. So don’t assume a link is “safe.” Here are two methods hackers use to get you to click their link. These methods are excerpted from the article “How to Avoid Malware on Facebook and Twitter: 8 Best Practices” by Sarah Perez on Read Write Web
Method 1: Hijacking Twitter’s Hot Topics
This is a relatively new technique and involves hackers creating Twitter news accounts and then posting messages related to whatever hot topic is being heavily discussed on Twitter at that time. This would allow the post to be aggregated in Twitter search results where unsuspecting users would click on the included link. The text accompanying the link would be intriguing to those interested in the subject, enticing them to click through.
Method 2: Hijacking Legitimate Accounts
This technique involves invading a legitimate account so that the hacker essentially has control over a “real” account. After the hacker has control, if on Twitter, the hacker will then tweet out links that redirect users to malware-infected sites. Because the tweets come from an account that already has an established set of followers, those reading the tweets assume it is safe and don’t hesitate to click on the links. On Facebook, malware often uses that particular person’s account to spread. As with malicious link on Twitter, because it appears that the links posted to your wall are from a trusted friend, other users don’t realize that the posted link is harmful.
So use common sense when it comes to clicking on links. If the link says something that doesn’t sound like your friend, don’t click, it isn’t worth the hassle of dealing with malware. Contact them through email or text or even a phone call and see if the link is legit.
3. Be Updated! Always use the latest version of your web browser and keep it updated with the necessary patches. If you are using Internet Explorer you should be on IE8. Internet Explorer is the most attacked browser therefore it is critical to keep it updated. Firefox is the second most attacked browser, but it has a self-updating feature built in. The same is true for Google Chrome. This browser has some additional security features built in. Other good browsers are Opera and Safari. Again call us and we can help you better understand these browsers and which one would best suit you.
4. Clean Your Windows! If you are a Windows user make sure your system is current with the latest patches from Microsoft. Make sure your Automatic Updates is turned on. If you are not sure how to do this, contact us and we can help you with this.
5. Reader & Flash! Adobe Reader and Flash are the two most targeted programs by hackers. All software systems have vulnerabilities and malware targets these vulnerabilities. A common trick for hackers is to redirect you to a malware-infected site where you are prompted to update your Flash player or Adobe Reader in order to view the website. NEVER do this. Always type in the website you want to visit in your browser, in this case Adobe. This way you know you are safe.
6. Mac Attack! Are you a Mac user? Don’t count on that alone to keep you safe. Yes the Mac is less targeted than a Windows based PC, but they are not immune to malware. Yes they have clever commercials touting their malware protection. Yes Apple does have some malware protection built in but again it is not inclusive. There are hundreds of Trojans out there that specifically target Mac machines. The most common Trojan designed to attack a Mac is the DNS Changer Trojan. If you are a Mac user, read up on this. If you would like help understanding this Trojan and what it can do to your Mac, give us a call.
7. Evil Email! Don’t assume that an email you receive from Facebook or Twitter is really from that site. Remember email addresses can be “spoofed” by hackers. Never open an attachment that you were not expecting and always be wary of clicking on a link. If you do click on a link and are redirected to a web page that asks you to log into that site, DON’T DO IT! You would hand over your password to the hackers and the damage would be catastrophic. As mentioned earlier, always access a web site directly by typing in their address into your browser or save the site in your favorite’s folder.
So there you have it! Seven things you can do to stay safe. Most of what we talked about above is the same things that have been done in the past. The issue with Malware though is it is trickier to identify these days and it will continue to evolve. The best way to keep your computer clean is to follow all the steps above – not just one or two. Malware isn’t ever going away and neither are the hackers. They will continue to look for new ways to infect your computer. Bulldog Information Technologies is committed to helping you avoid this problem. If you would like more information on safe browsing or need help fixing a computer that is “just acting funny”, give us a call at 509-765-4849 or, if you live around the area, stop in and see us at 1555 S. Pilgrim St. Suite B in beautiful Moses Lake, Washington, USA. You can also visit us on the web at http://www.bulldoginfotech.com/