By Marlena Metting
April 30, 2015
Accepting without Reading
We are all guilty of doing this daily. We see a EULA and immediately hit “I Accept.” Believe it or not…. this is the most common way a computer becomes infected with spyware and malware.
For instance: An Internet advertisement or window appears that says that a unique plug-in is required. Unless you are a computer guru, you may not fully understand what it is you’re getting yourself into and install this so-called “plug-in.” Often times malware disguises itself in a way that makes you think you need it.
Another common way we see malware take form is when installing or updating a program, you’re prompted if it’s okay to install additional “programs” that you may not necessarily want. But we have the tendency to hit ACCEPT for everything. Most often malware will not attack you without your consent. Many of these threats can be eliminated by paying close attention to the types of software (programs, utilities, games, updates, demos, etc.) you are downloading via the Internet. Make sure you’re downloading the from a reliable source.
Clicking on Scareware
Scareware is a malicious code present on fraudulent websites or illegally injected on legitimate but hacked websites without the knowledge of the administrator. Often times, this kind of malware seeks to masquerade as antivirus, antispyware, or other security software, claiming that your system is infected in order to trick you into downloading their malicious software. Don’t fall for the claims that your computer is infected unless these claims are coming directly from your Anti-Virus program, because that is the ONLY program that is looking out for you.
Not Keeping your Anti-Virus software updated
Internet threats are continuously evolving…. meaning cybercriminals are constantly looking for new forms of attack. Consider when you first install your software it protects you against threats known at that point in time. If you are not regularly updating your security software, you are leaving yourself open to all the threats that have evolved since your last update or initial installation, and that can be a lot! That is why it’s critical to keep your security software up-to-date. Updates can protect you from new threats that are developed each day and increase your overall Internet security.
Right now, there is a notice in my upper right hand corner that “updates are ready to install” but I don’t know what the updates are for and should I press “install” or “later”. Will I be asked for a password? I never get that right, so I”m
hesitant to try to Install.
Hi Betty. It is hard for me tell what updates it is referring to without seeing it myself. However, it sounds like an update to the Mac Operating System which is perfectly safe to install when you have a moment or two. You will get prompted for your apple password if you have one, so be prepared for that. Let us know if you have any more questions. Happy to help!