Robert S. Maher Blog: Stop Malware Attacks and Online Identity Theft

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Stop Malware Attacks and Online Identity Theft

Malware means a malicious or intrusive software application that is coded for executing on the targeted device without notifying its user or the owner.

Affecting a mobile phone, a computer, a laptop, or a network server, malware interrupts computing operations, hijacks networks, or access systems.

This is mostly done to steal the identity of any authorized user, rob confidential data, degrade performance, spy on a device, disrupt a service, and/or disable the targeted network or system for the sole purpose of misusing data or exploiting resources. Acting as purposely malignant, malware is disguised as an authentic application available from an apparently trustworthy source.

The modern and common types of malware, such as the viruses, worms, spyware, adware, Trojans, and Zombies, primarily target confidential personal, business, or financial information. The victims could be big companies, small agencies, governments, or even individual users. For achieving the set goal, a malware program must execute without being noticed or deleted, or without shutting down the targeted system. Well, these three criteria also show the way to stop malware attacks and online identity theft. So, the best defense is to beat the malware in its own game.

While no solo technique is 100% infallible, a few tested and trustworthy cyber security techniques are available for keeping malware attacks and online thefts away. If used together, they can easily protect your identity, device, and network from the most vicious but genuine-looking Internet applications.

Guard/Seal Your Existing Vulnerabilities

Update your browser

A common way for a malware program to attack is to find and exploit the system’s vulnerabilities. It is a fact that no system is fully free of vulnerabilities or weaknesses, which may be in the form of an old application, an unpatched operating system, or a browser with inadequate security protocols. So, to keep exploits away, it is essential to shield your weaknesses by:

Removing the applications that you no longer use, particularly the ones for whose support no longer exists from the maker (for example, Windows XP or an old version of a media player).
Updating the browsers, operating system, and even plugins even by making some memory space for them, as any new update aims to patch the weaknesses to defeat the cyber criminals in their aim.

Thicken the Security Layer of Your Browser

Browsing means surfing the Internet, which also means giving a scope for the malware to exploit your system and steal your confidential data. All types of threats are knowingly or unknowingly invited when you use public Wi-Fi that is not secured, shop online without turning on the essential security options, and leave your system open for anybody to operate while taking a short break.

Well, you can keep most of these threats away by following some basic habits and tips:

Malwarebytes

Ensure that the URL of a site you are accessing start from “https” instead of “http” and is prefixed by a padlock icon for securing your connection.
Use a long password without writing it anywhere, do not include any kind of personal information in it such as name or birth date, and keep changing it frequently.
Avoid keeping the same password for different sites or pages.
Log out of the site instead of just closing the tabs, once your work is done even if your password is strong. This is because a tech guy can easily grab your login information from cookies.
Enable a firewall and a comprehensive malware removal program like Malwarebytes to detect and keep all types of malware away. Do update them regularly.

Keep an Eagle Eye on Communication Activities Online

Attackers can easily make their way through social sites and activities.

Here are some ways to keep them away:

Check Email URLs

Read e-mails carefully and check for the sender’s address, links in the body, and language. If the links are broken, language is weird, or an offer is too good to be true, kindly avoid such e-mails by blocking them.
Do not share any bank, financial, login, or personal details for any purpose through chat or e-mails.
Do not any unknown person or group to your social media page.