Another Day With My PC

When somebody tells you that your old neighborhood hacker took the weekend off to go fishing, don’t be surprised when you see him bringing a laptop instead of a hook, line, and sinker. You could bet your hard drive’s last kilobyte that he will not be looking for his next meal or a new addition to his aquarium. Unless he’s really fishing with an “F,” what he’ll probably do is phish for data rather than fish for, well, fish.

Phishing is the term used to describe the illegal or fraudulent act of acquiring personal information through deceptive means. Hackers usually do this by sending deceptive e-mails or other electronic messages that ask users for certain information about themselves. Many have already been deceived and victimized as criminals use methods which lead people to believe that the sender and the message are legitimate ones.

Not Just by e-mail Alone

While e-mail service providers have already rolled up their sleeves and took on the challenge of putting a scarlet letter on bogus or fraudulent e-mail senders or addresses, hackers have found another way of phishing passwords, account numbers, and other sensitive details from unsuspecting persons.

e-commerce is growing at a tremendous pace, and thousands or even millions now send out credit card numbers, bank passwords, and other financial details on the Internet. These information are usually asked for by and entered into e-commerce Web sites, such as e-Bay, Amazon, and other businesses or institutions, such as banks. Criminals are aware of this and have built numerous Web sites which replicate the ones where people usually go to shop or do financial transactions. As a result, a good number of people unsuspectingly types in sensitive data that the bogus site asks for, practically giving it to hackers on a silver platter.

Seemingly Unimportant Questions

Pop ups are also used as phishing instruments. PCs infected with spyware, adware, and other forms of malware are usually prone to phishing activities since hackers already have a hold on the unit. Pop ups might ask you for certain personal details. Some of the questions may seem harmless and you might not suspect it to be malicious, especially if it’s not asking for your social security or credit card number. However, be very wary on the questions that you answer, whether they come from dubious pop ups or seemingly legitimate e-mails. Questions asking you as to your favorite food, the name of your pet, or your mother’s maiden name might seem inconsequential. However, take note that these questions are usually the ones that are also being asked by e-mail service providers or e-commerce sites in case you’ve forgotten your username or password.

Nip the Problem at the Bud

Keep your PC safe and secure at all times. Malware oftentimes monitor Web surfing activities. If the malicious software detects that you’re a frequent user of online banking services or an occasional customer of e-shops, then you’ll probably be subjected to all sorts of phishing tactics or methods. Keep your PC from being infiltrated by installing security tools, such as registry cleaners and antivirus programs. These applications will ensure that everything that you do or send on the Internet will not be made known to anyone.

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