| Useful things to know |
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A vital consideration with any computer systems is security. This starts with good design practice, physical security, conventional computer security, and most important of all operator awareness. Here is some information on Virus, worms and trojans
This is presented as a guide, for more information please contact us. Computer hoaxes Are simply old tricks translated to new media. Hoax Virus warnings have been with us for some time, but these days with more and more well meaning people using MS Outlook with makes it easy to send a message to everyone in your address book its getting beyond a joke. You receive an email forwarded from someone you know that warns you about a 'new and deadly computer virus' if its characteristics include any of these things :
So What can you do about hoaxes ? IGNORE them totally, if you have the slightest doubt go to the website of your favourite anti-virus software vendor and search on the given name. Unless you find a virus assume the email is rubbish, these guys are in the business of knowing more than your well meaning 'friend'. Don't pass it on. The Hoaxbusters maintain a good list. Some famous examples include sulfnbk.exe, a standard part of the Windows/98 operating system and should not be removed. In May 2001 lots of people believed a stupid hoax message to do just that. Another one was the JDBGMGR.EXE hoax, tricking users into deleting another system file file. Scams Are the oldest computer fraud around, and the best advice is that "if it looks too good to be true it probably is" Although seven year old boys in hospital no longer seem to collect cards etc, we are led to believe there are a multitude of displaced persons in Africa and other developing countries with more millions than they know what to do with. Nigeria even has a special section in their criminal code to describe this racket, which gives it the name 419 fraud. Ignore it, some of the people involved in it are very dangerous and they mass mail people at random, do not reply even abusivly. it will only increase your unwanted email volume. The bad news is that you have not won the lottery either, its just another scam and like all advance fee frauds and pyramid scams, all you are going to achieve is wasting money and time if you participate. Junkmail Sooner or late you will get one someone's junkmail list, and receive offers of all sorts of rubbish you really could do without. Exercise caution in leaving your email address on websites, or giving it out when you do not really need to. Use filters and whatever services your email provider offeres to keep the noise down. And DON'T send bulk emails, it annoys people. Remember most junk emails have forged addresses, so don't make it worse by complaining to the 'sender'. Phishing This is the term used to describe the process of trying to get people to give away their credit card details or passwords by publishing a phony website which looks like a bank, ebay, or paypal. None of these people are going to ask you by email to "verify your account details" Read the security notices on their genuine sites as they explain what to do in detail. Don't get caught by the phishers ! Spyware This is a real curse, it may be designed to track your usage of the Internet, and present advertisments that are appropriate to your interests. It sucks your system resources and wastes your internet bandwidth and can be very difficult to remove. Although there are excellent programs given away free on the net, those that solicit you to download them usually contain spyware and should be avoided like the plague. There is a whole industry developed in spyware removers. Unfortunatly you may need one one day, but be sure its a genuine one as many of the products offered are scams, particularly those which offer to check you computer online !
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