Habits,
lingo, and behaviour patterns are all used against us when a black-hat
hacker or "cracker" is attempting to get into things and places
that they have no right to access. Be wary of people on the phone whose
voice
you don't recognize but they seem well versed in your companies
terminology. Don't click on files with a SCR, PIF, EXE, COM, or BAS
file extension. Windows users can protect themselves better if they
make sure that the Windows Explorer has file-extensions for known file
types turned on.
As much as we might hate to admit it, the thought of being a winner and
getting something for free appeals to all of us. Don't click on
anything which pops up in your web browser claiming that you've just
won something, the only thing you might have won is the privilage of
making your PC a "SPAM ZOMBIE",
or perhaps a tool to be used in a large
network of other PCs which can be used by criminal elements to
orchistrate a Denial OF Service (DOS) attack on a commercial website,
all in an effort to extort money from the company who
owns it... someday it could be you. Avoid
being the victim of social engineering
Resist
temptation. If you didn't enter a contest then you didn't "win"
anything.
Don't
read SPAM emails,
If
something sounds too good to be true it probably is.
If
you get an email from a friend with an attachment, and you didn't ask
for one, then scan it for viruses.
Banks
never send emails asking for your account numbers and
Personal I.D. Numbers.
Official
looking emails are usually con-artists trying to get their hands on
your money or steal your identity.
The
weakest part of any secure system is the human element. Don't let your
habits make you vulnerable, question everything and if it just doesn't
feel right then speak up and sound the alarm.
