But now school has begun and the dust has settled. Phew! So, I have to ask – did Santa bring you or your children any new devices? Perhaps he popped a new laptop, tablet, smartphone or Xbox under the tree.

Well, if you are the lucky owner of a flash device it is SO important to remember that the first step in enjoying your tablet or smartphone is to protect it. Yes – cyber scrooges do exist and spend much time and effort designing malicious software (malware) that can steal your personal information. Apologies for ruining your post-holiday high!

However, if you spend some time protecting your devices, you can keep your gadgets (and your family) safe and protected year round.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Smartphones

• Only download apps from a reputable store and always read reviews.
• Use a password or pin to restrict access to your phone.
• Protect the data on your phone by using a product that can back up and restore your information.

Apple Products (iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch)

• With Mac Malware on the rise, install security software developed for the Mac.
• Check out Apple’s iCloud service for syncing and securing data.

New PC or NetBook

• Ensure your computer has comprehensive security software that includes (at a minimum) anti-virus, a two-way firewall, anti-spyware, anti-phishing and safe search capabilities.
• Please opt for data protection that can backup and restore.

And, most importantly, educate your kids about staying safe online. Ensure your computer is in a high traffic area and discuss what can and can’t be shared online, such as phone numbers. Use a web filtering tool to protect kids from accessing inappropriate content and most importantly, don’t assume your child doesn’t know how to turn off parental controls!

So, in order to help you stay one step ahead of the cybercriminals (and your kids!), invest in active, comprehensive protection for all the devices you use to access the Internet. Why not check out McAfee All Access. To learn more, visit www.mcafee.com/au/allaccess.
Until next time,

Alex

In 1995, 8,069 unique pieces of malware were detected. One out of 20 emails were spam, and the Melissa virus infected hundreds of thousands. By 2010, 54 million unique pieces of malware were detected and more than 90% of all email was spam.

SMS spam (or spam via texting) is so prevalent today because those sending it are often scammers using robocall techniques that sequentially dial numbers in any area code and extension. An online search for “mass sms software” turns up plenty of free and low-fee programs that facilitate mass texting.

Also, when you enter your mobile number on a website you might end up clicking a terms of service agreement where you allow the company to send you text advertisements. And entering your information on a mobile app is no different. If you are not careful, you could unknowingly be opening yourself up to spam from the app and any third parties they work with.

While spam is mostly annoying, it can also pose some risks to you. You could even be tricked into paying for products and services that turn out to be illegitimate or nonexistent. Spam can also be used to distribute Trojans, spyware, and exploit code that can infect your mobile device or steal your information.

To protect yourself from SMS spam, you should:

•  Unsubscribe to unwanted text messages – Try to reduce the amount of marketing lists that have your mobile number, If you haven’t signed up to receive text messages from an organization and don’t recognize the sender, don’t open the text or unsubscribe from the list, since this lets the spammer know that your phone is active. The best thing to do is just delete the message.

• Protect your mobile phone number – Don’t give your mobile number to companies or people you don’t know. And, if you do need to give out your mobile number, make sure you should understand the company’s privacy policy to see if your information is being shared with any third parties.

• Use great caution when opening attachments - Never open unsolicited business emails, or attachments that you’re not expecting—even from people you know.

• Watch out for phishing scams. Don’t click on links in text messages. Instead, open your mobile browser and visit the site directly.

• Do not reply to spam. Never send your credit card information, Social Security number, and other private information via email or instant message.

• Watch your permissions – Make sure you know what information your apps have access to as you may be allowing them to send you text messages by just downloading the app. Read the reviews and privacy policy for the app.

Taking the time to practice some simple steps will help protect you against the risks of spam.

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Evangelist to McAfee. Watch him discussing information he found on used electronic devices YouTube. (Disclosures)

My father in law mentioned that he got an email saying that he had a package that they couldn’t deliver and he wondered what to do. The answer is nothing! This is a classic scam and one that counts on the victim rushing and not thinking things through. You have to stop and think – how does the postal service, UPS or Fed Ex have your email address? They do not, so do not click on that link.

From July through September, McAfee found nearly 2,700 phishing URL’s per day. These links get sent out in emails claiming to be from delivery services, banks, PayPal, etc – all trying to dupe you into giving up your bank password or credit card information.

Criminals have devised a new version of Spam called SMiShing. In this scam, the victim gets a fake text message on their phone “alerting” you that your bank account has been compromised. Again, if your bank had been compromised your bank would send a letter not a text message.

In all of these scams, the criminals are hoping that you will be busy and not think through the contact method or that you will simply click on a link and be brought to their phony website. To avoid these scams, remember the following:

1. STOP and THINK before you open that next email AND before you type your personal information into your keyboard.

2. USPS, UPS and Fed Ex will not email you to let you know that they tried to deliver something or that you owe postage. (They only email tracking information if you specifically request it on their website.)

3. Never open or click on email if you don’t know the sender.

4. Ask your bank if they ever send out emails to customers. If you think you received a true email from a website you use, do not click on a link in the email – manually type in the address yourself and verify the site is real.

5. Set a security suite software to automatically update so your computer is protected.

6. Make pa$$w0rds for banking and financial sites extra hard using letters, symbols and numbers.

Stay safe out there and Happy Holidays!

Tracy

Cybercriminals rub their hands with glee when they think of the holidays. If you’re like me then you are probably busy making travel plans, shopping for gifts and bargains, updating Facebook and connecting with friends. However, the vast majority of people don’t have security protection for their smartphones or tablets, despite using them heavily during the holiday season.

You’ll need to stay one step ahead of this season’s cyber-scrooges, and make sure you have protection for all of their Internet-enabled devices. Otherwise, you could risk giving the bad guys the biggest gift of all – your own personal and financial information!

McAfee’s 12 Scams of Christmas

1. Mobile Malware:  A recent National Retail Federation (NRF) survey, dated October 19, found that 52.6 percent of U.S. consumers who own a smartphone said they will be using their device for holiday-shopping related activities—whether it’s to research products, redeem coupons, or purchase holiday gifts. Malware targeted at mobile devices is on the rise, and Android smartphones are most at risk. McAfee cites a 76 percent increase in malware targeted at Android devices in the second quarter of 2011 over the first, making it the most targeted smartphone platform.

New malware has recently been found that targets QR codes, a digital barcode that consumers might scan with their smartphone to find good deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, or just to learn about products they want to buy.

2. Malicious Mobile Applications -These are mobile apps designed to steal information from smartphones, or send out expensive text messages without a user’s consent. Dangerous apps are usually offered for free, and masquerade as fun applications, such as games. For example, last year, 4.6 million Android smartphone users downloaded a suspicious wallpaper app that collected and transmitted user data to a site in China.

3. Phony Facebook Promotions and Contests – Who doesn’t want to win some free prizes or get a great deal around the holidays? Unfortunately, cyberscammers know that these are attractive lures and they have sprinkled Facebook with phony promotions and contests aimed at gathering personal information.

A recent scam advertised two free airline tickets, but required participants to fill out multiple surveys requesting personal information.

4. Scareware, or Fake Antivirus software – Scareware is the fake antivirus software that tricks someone into believing that their computer is at risk—or already infected—so they agree to download and pay for phony software. This is one of the most common and dangerous Internet threats today, with an estimated one million victims falling for this scam each day. In October 2010, McAfee reported that scareware represented 23% of all dangerous Internet links, and it has been resurgent in recent months.

5. Holiday Screensavers—Bringing holiday cheer to your home or work PC sounds like a fun idea to get into the holiday spirit, but be careful. A recent search for a Santa screensaver that promises to let you “fly with Santa in 3D” is malicious.  Holiday-themed ringtones and e-cards have been known to be malicious too.

6. Mac Malware – Until recently, Mac users felt pretty insulated from online security threats, since most were targeted at PCs. But with the growing popularity of Apple products, for both business and personal use, cybercriminals have designed a new wave of malware directed squarely at Mac users. According to McAfee LabsTM, as of late 2010, there were 5,000 pieces of malware targeting Macs, and this number is increasing by 10 percent month on month.

7. Holiday Phishing Scams – Phishing is the act of tricking consumers into revealing information or performing actions they wouldn’t normally do online using phony email or social media posts. Cyberscammers know that most people are busy around the holidays so they tailor their emails and social messages with holiday themes in the hopes of tricking recipients into revealing personal information. 

• A common holiday phishing scam is a phony notice from UPS, saying you have a package and need to fill out an attached form to get it delivered. The form may ask for personal or financial details that will go straight into the hands of the cyberscammer.
• Banking phishing scams continue to be popular and the holiday season means consumers will be spending more money—and checking bank balances more often. From July to September of this year, McAfee Labs identified approximately 2,700 phishing URLs per day.
• Smishing –SMS phishing—remains a concern. Scammers send their fake messages via a text alert to a phone, notifying an unsuspecting consumer that his bank account has been compromised. The cybercriminals then direct the consumer to call a phone number to get it re-activated—and collects the user’s personal information including Social Security number, address, and account details.

8. Online Coupon Scams – An estimated 63 percent of shoppers search for online coupons or deals when they purchase something on the Internet, and recent NRF data (October 19, 2011) shows that consumers are also using their smartphones (17.3 percent) and tablets (21.5 percent) to redeem those coupons. But watch out, because the scammers know that by offering an irresistible online coupon, they can get people to hand over some of their personal information.

• One popular scam is to lure consumers with the hope of winning a “free” iPad. Consumers click on a “phishing” site, which can result in email spam and possibly dealing with identify theft.
• Consumers are offered an online coupon code and once they agree, are asked to provide personal information, including credit-card details, passwords and other financial data.

9. Mystery Shopper Scams – Mystery shoppers are people who are hired to shop in a store and report back on the customer service.  Sadly, scammers are now using this fun job to try to lure people into revealing personal and financial information.  There have been reports of scammers sending text messages to victims, offering to pay them $50 an hour to be a mystery shopper, and instructing them to call a number if they are interested.  Once the victim calls, they are asked for their personal information, including credit card and bank account numbers.

10.  Hotel “Wrong Transaction” Malware Emails – Many people travel over the holidays, so it is no surprise that scammers have designed travel-related scams in the hopes of getting us to click on dangerous emails. In one recent example, a scammer sent out emails that appeared to be from a hotel, claiming that a “wrong transaction” had been discovered on the recipient’s credit card.  It then asked them to fill out an attached refund form. Once opened, the attachment downloads malware onto their machine.

11.  “It” Gift Scams – Every year there are hot holiday gifts, such as toys and gadgets, that sell out early in the season. When a gift is hot, not only do sellers mark up the price, but scammers will also start advertising these gifts on rogue websites and social networks, even if they don’t have them.  So, consumers could wind up paying for an item and giving away credit card details only to receive nothing in return. Once the scammers have the personal financial details, there is little recourse.

12. “I’m away from home” Scammers – Posting information about a vacation on social networking sites could actually be dangerous.  If someone is connected with people they don’t know on Facebook or other social networking sites, they could see their post and decide that it may be a good time to rob them.  Furthermore, a quick online search can easily turn up their home address.

“We don’t want consumers to be haunted by the scams of holidays past, present and future,” said Jim Walter, manager at McAfee Labs. “With the increase in malware and other attacks on smartphones, tablets and Macs, users need to stay vigilant and ensure they protect all of their devices, not just their home PC – they can’t afford to leave the door open to cyber-grinches during the busy holiday season.”

How to Protect Yourself
Internet users can protect themselves from cybercrime with the following quick tips from McAfee:

• Only download mobile apps from official app stores, such as iTunes and the Android Market, and read user reviews before downloading them.
• Be extra vigilant when reviewing and responding to emails.
• Watch out for too-good-to-be-true offers on social networks (like free airline tickets). Never agree to reveal your personal information just to participate in a promotion.
• Don’t accept requests on social networks from people you don’t know in real life. Wait to post pictures and comments about your vacation until you’ve already returned home.

Be sure you have active, comprehensive protection for all of your devices. McAfee® All Access is the only product that lets you protect a wide variety of Internet-enabled devices, including PCs, Macs, smartphones, tablets and netbooks, for one low price for individuals and families. To learn more, visit http://home.mcafee.com/store/all-access-security.

Special offer from McAfee
As millions of consumers begin to search and shop online during this holiday season, McAfee understands the importance of being aware of cybercriminals tactics and knowing how to stay protected from identity theft and online fraud. 

From November 9 – 15, McAfee will be offering a complimentary PDF copy of a new book on http://www.facebook.com/mcafee called 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before(r)… Your Identity Was Stolen, authored by identity theft expert Robert Siciliano. The book is available in print, ePub, and PDF and can now be found on Amazon, Amazon Kindle, and the Sony eBook Store and http://www.99-series.com/store.html from $5.99-$14.97.

In the book, Robert proactively organizes, simplifies, and demystifies the entire issue of identity theft and computer fraud into bite size chunks to make consumers, families, employees and small businesses safe and secure. Consumers will learn the difference between Scareware, Ransomware and Spyware; about the types of cybercriminals, such as a Black Hat, Cracker, Script-kiddie and Hacktivist; and how to protect their identity online and in the physical world.

Additional Resources
• Web surfers should visit the McAfee Security Advice Center and Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mcafee for information on the latest threats, and tips on surfing safely.
• VIDEO: A New World of Threats
• VIDEO: History of Malware

A season that should be merry can be downright scary when cybercriminals get their way over the holidays. This is why McAfee is warning consumers to beware of the 12 scams of Christmas.

From taking advantage of our desire to give with fake charity scams, to trying to fool us into thinking that a friend is in need, cybercrooks are pulling every trick out of their sleeves to try to get a hold of our money and information this season.

The truth is the holidays are a time when millions of consumers flock online, let down their guards and open up their wallets, making them more susceptible to cyber tricks. But users don’t have to let the scammers ruin your holidays. Read about the 12 scams of Christmas and learn how to avoid them.

The Scams:

  1)    iPad Scams—Apple’s latest gadget is the hot gift of the season and cyber scammers know it. They have been busy extending bogus offers for free iPads on social media sites and via spam. In one version of the scam, consumers are asked to purchase lower-priced products in order to get the free iPad, only to have the crook take off with their credit card number.

  2)    “Help! I’ve been robbed” scam—In this scam cybercriminals compromise users’ accounts to send messages to their friends that appear to be coming from the victim. The message typically says that they’ve been robbed while traveling abroad and need a friend to wire them money in order to get home. This is a particularly insidious scam over the holidays when many people are traveling and it’s easier for their friends to believe that they need help.

  3)    Fake gift cards—Knowing that gift cards are very popular over the holidays, cybercrooks are coming up with fake gift card offers with the goal of getting their hands on consumers information and money. In one phony offer, the crooks offered a “Free $1000 Best Buy” gift card to Facebook users who “liked” the phony Best Buy page, and then made victims disclose personal information to get the fake gift card.

  4)    Holiday job offers—With many people looking to make extra cash over the holidays, cyber scammers have been busy offering fake high-paying, work-at-home jobs in which they ask for personal information such as your email address, home address, and Social Security number, putting victims at risk for identity theft.

  5)    “Smishing”—Smishing, or phishing via text message, is becoming more common. Usually, the crooks send a text message that appears to come from your bank or an online retailer saying there’s a problem with your account and you should call a number to verify your information. They are actually trying to extract personal information, such as banking and personal details.

  6)    Holiday rental scam—With many people eager to get away during the holidays, we’re seeing an increase in holiday rental scams in which cybercrooks advertise attractive properties at rock-bottom prices on phony websites. Usually, they asked for deposits via wire transfer, making it difficult for victims to get their money back.

  7)    Recession scams continue—The economy may be slowly recovering but scammers know that many consumers are still looking for financial help. That’s why recession-related scams, such as pay-in-advance credit schemes and pre-qualified low interest loans are so dangerous. Victims are usually asked for a processing fee upfront that will go directly into the scammers’ pockets.

  8)    Grinch-like Greetings—Who doesn’t like to send a cheerful e-card over the holidays? Unfortunately, cybercrooks know this and distribute fake e-cards with links to computer viruses and other malware, or even pornography.

  9)    Low price traps—Scammers use auction sites and phony websites to offer too-good-to-be true prices on popular holiday gifts in the hopes of stealing information and money.

  10)  Charity scams—The holidays are traditional times for giving and cybercrooks like to take advantage of users generosity by sending spam emails or making phone calls, asking them to donate to a phony charity.

  11)  Dodgy holiday downloads—Holiday-themed jingles, screensavers, and animations are fun but not when they include malware. Scammers like to distribute dangerous downloads on sketchy websites or via spam, and label them as holiday cheer.

  12)  Hotel and airport Wi-fi—Many of us take to the road with our laptops during the holidays and use Wi-fi hotspots in hotels, airports and cafés to keep in touch. This makes it a tempting time for cybercrooks to try to hack into unprotected networks.

The Dangers: All of these scams target your money and personal information, and potentially leave you open to identity theft. 

Bottom Line: As you go online this holiday season, be more cautious than usual. Avoid deals that look too good to be true and fiercely guard your personal information.

Tips to Avoid Becoming a Victim:

  1) When shopping online, stick to reputable and well-established sites that carry trustmarks (icons or seals from third parties verifying that the site is safe), user reviews and customer support. Remember that reputable trustmark providers offer a live link from the trustmark icon, taking you to a verification website.

  2) If you’re worried you may be a victim of the scam, scan your computer for free using McAfee ® Security Scan Plus to scan for all kinds of threats such as viruses, Trojans and spyware.

  3) You can preview a link’s web address before you click on it to make sure it is going to an established site. If it is a shortened URL, which is common on social media sites, use shortened URL preview tools such as http://longurl.org and http://www.expandmyurl.com to preview the address.

If it is a shortened URL created by the McAfee secure shortening service, http://mcaf.ee, when you click on the link it will tell you where it is headed and warn you if it is risky, giving you an opportunity to back out.

  4) Never download or click anything from an unknown source or respond to offers that arrive in a spam email, text or instant message.

  5) Stay away from vendors that offer prices well below the norm. Don’t believe anything that’s too good to be true.

  6) Use trusted and protected Wi-fi networks. Don’t check bank accounts or shop online if you’re not sure the network is safe.

  7) Choose your favorite charity and donate directly, rather than respond to unsolicited charity pleas.

  8) If you’re looking for holiday employment, stick to well-established job sites.

  9) Never respond to offers for easy credit or loans where you have to pay fees up-front.

Tips on What to Do If You Have Become a Victim:

You’re a victim, now what?

  1.) If you have given your credit card or other personal information to the scammers, immediately call your credit card company to report the issue and place a hold on the card.

  2.) Contact the Cybercrime Response Unit at www.mcafee.com/cru, an online help center for advice and technical assistance, if you think you’ve been a victim of a cybercrime.

  3.) Make sure your computer is protected in the future by installing a complete security software suite that includes anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall protection, such as McAfee Total Protection™. Ensure that your software is always up to date (enable the “auto-update” feature) and perform regular scans.

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