Cyber Security

A year or two ago, the malware author's preferred way of spreading their wares was via e-mail attachments. We all remember mass outbreaks like Bagle, Mydoom and Warezov.

Well, sending EXE attachments in e-mail doesn't work anymore. Almost every organization is now dropping such risky attachments from their e-mail traffic.

So virus writers have made a clear shift away from e-mail attachments to the Web: drive-by-downloads. This attack often still starts with an e-mail spam run; there's just no attachments in the e-mail anymore as it has been replaced by a web link.

Physical cyber security is a real and present danger. The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles became another security breach victim in December when computers were stolen from a DMV van while it was being serviced. Knowing where your computers are at all times is a prerequisite for security.

The emergence of Web 2.0, an extension of the first-generation Web, promotes collaboration and sharing between users. It’s the foundation for Web applications such as Facebook, MySpace, Wikipedia and others.

The problem with that is, due to the fact that it actively promotes collaboration and sharing, it will increasingly be used by hackers and others to push malicious software onto PCs. The biggest current threat in that department is collecting people’s personal details for financial gain.

All computers, from your desktop in the den to the laptop you use on the road, have become more and more vulnerable to intrusion and attack. From January 2005 to the present an estimated 165 million data records of US residents have been exposed according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Viruses, worms, malware and spyware are rampant throughout the Internet. Entities as diverse as the federal government and the City of New York pension system to companies like SAIC, AT&T and numerous banks have had laptops with supposedly secure information either lost or stolen. In September the virus threat even hit Skype, with the discovery of a worm that used Skype phone chat to redirect users to a website that infected their computers. With the Cyberwars becoming more and more heated, everyone from Microsoft and Symantec to the Department of Homeland Security issue alerts, updates, patches and security bulletins. All of this information and help will be to no avail without basic security awareness on the part of every computer user.

'Bot Roast II' nets 8 individuals. Second phase of ongoing cyber investigation reveals more than $20 million in economic loss and more than one million victimized computers. Public urged to take precaution.

Regardless of whether you use an email application such as Outlook or Mail, or if you simply point your browser to Gmail or Yahoo to check your email, you should always make sure that you are using a secure connection. Secure connections enable you to ensure the authenticity of the mail server you are using so that you can rest assured that your email is being sent to your mail sever and not a malicious third party. Making sure you are using a secure connection is one small step which you can take to safeguard your important business communications from prying eyes.

Though there are a variety of simple technological steps you can take to better ensure the security of your email, the best email security starts with training yourself to be a more security conscious email user. By becoming a safer and more secure emailer, you can protect yourself and others