How do we catch malware? And how can we prevent it?

Everyone has heard of malware.  And many have no doubt been affected by malware.  I have personally been affected by it, and I have helped out many friends and family who have also been affected.  To put it plain and simple.  Malware sucks.

Malware by definition means: malicious software.  Software that can do anything from slow your computer down to preventing it from booting altogether.  And how do people get malware on their computers?  That answer is a rather simple answer in principle; however, learning to prevent catching malware takes a conscious effort on your part (as the computer user).

So we will list a few, simple, common sense ways you can prevent malware (or at least lower your chances of catching it).

1- Only use web based services and sources that you trust...
This is pretty self explanatory.  If you shop, bank, and pay bills online; then you are trusting these services to handle your personal information with the highest cautions.  Being locked down and secure.  So instead of online shopping using 'Billy Bob's Online Wholesale' which looks suspicious; find an official online store or service you can purchase from.  Or even use a service like Amazon which allows people a old, Billy Bob a reputable place to market their goods.  In the long run, you'll be glad you did.

Why?  Because oftentimes, malware is delivered by suspicious or shady looking sites.  And they try to position themselves in a manner that you'll click their link and install that plugin to run a slideshow or play an audio file.  One of the common things I'm seeing quite a bit of now are fake media players.  One website in general I bumped into on a friend's computer a few months ago, looked like a site that let user's stream last week's episode of some television shows.

But when you click a link to watch a show, you are prompted to download their 'media player' which will install itself, wreak havoc on your computer and still not let you view your show.

2- Don't run around the web downloading every program that claims to keep you safe.
This is a big one for me.  There are many 'programs' out there that claim to keep you safe from a particular virus or piece of malware.  And they want you to download them.  And often, they are malware themselves.  Your best bet will be to find a good anti-virus program with malware protection.  In my case I run AVG 2012 and MalwareBytes.  Both are great solutions and they are free.

I worked on a PC a few months ago for a friend who happened to be attempting to run both McAfee and Norton Security suites.  Thinking they were doubly protected.  However, what had happened was both programs were detecting each other and causing conflicts slowing their computer down to a crawl.  On top of that she was running a web filtering program which had restricted 99% of her web traffic not allowing any outbound surfing.  What it did allow, was only for taking you to the software developers website.  My advice, find a security solution and stick with it.  Keep it updated and run scans regularly.

3- Watch where you surf!
This is one of the biggest pieces of advice that I can offer.  Watch where you surf on the web.  Just because a site is the number one hit on Google, doesn't mean that it's a legitimate website offering a legitimate product.  Always be skeptical.  Google and your anti-virus software does a pretty good job monitoring search result links for issues.  And when using search engines like Google.  Look at all the information following a result.  Especially the outgoing URL, which is in green under the site description.  See:

This information is here for a reason.  And it's a great way to make sure you are going to the site you want to go too.  If you are looking at a search result that doesn't look kosher, don't click on it.

4- Don't download programs you aren't familiar with!
This is the last common sense rule for protecting yourself against malware.  If you visit a website and you get a prompt asking you to download a program or plugin from their site; don't do it without educating yourself about what you are downloading.  For example, if I visit a website and it asks me to install Adobe Flash Player and a download prompt kicks up for me to download it from them.  Then the first thing I do is visit Adobe.com and visit the Downloads section and visit the Flash Player portion of their site.

If it plays a little animation and tells me I'm up to date.  I know I'm getting prompted for something that isn't Flash Player on that particular website.  Remember, to get a malware infection the bad guys are expecting your to download and in most cases run something to spread it.

These four rules will not protect you 100% from malware.  But they will help decrease your chances of catching any of the bad stuff.  And if you do happen to get some malware, it's not the end of the world.  There are ways to fix it.  If not, you can always reload and OS in extreme cases.

read more

Android Security in a Nutshell

A hot topic within the mobile technology world for sometime now has been the topic of malware, virus protection, and security.  If you are an Android user, you've probably seen the anti-virus apps in the Android Market for AVG and Norton (and I think there are a few others as well).  These apps are good and well for some I'm sure.

Personally, I installed the AVG mobile app on Acer Iconia a500 and wasn't impressed with the app at all.  It runs in the background (even though I didn't notice a hit to the performance); I couldn't tell that it was actually doing a proactive job at protecting me anymore than if I were to use a good square head and some common sense.

So, in the spirit of making informed choices based on common sense, here is a short list of things you can do to help make your Android experience a little safer for you and others.

1- Only download from trusted sources.
There are a lot of apps in the Android Market.  And pretty much anyone can make an Android App and get it listed.  Google filters out some of the junk apps over time, but they definitely don't catch everything.  When browsing the Android Market I try to look for apps that are developed by individuals or companies who I am familiar with.  I would rather purchase a game from a company  like GamEvil or Gameloft as opposed to John Doe from Kentucky.  If it looks funny or questionable, it probably is.  If the app listing doesn't have pictures or video of the app in action, I pass it up.  No question. If they can't show it off, I shouldn't waste my time on it.  Simple as that.  Every app has a list of permissions it needs when being ran.  Keep an eye on these, they will help you sniff out whether or not a specific app should be trusted.

2- Leave 'Download from Untrusted Sources' disabled.
If you may be tempted to try an app you found on somebodies website where you download the individual .apk file; you probably need to leave the option to download/install from these sources alone.  By default it is disabled by most devices.  It is easy to get a hold of a bad .apk using this means of installation.

3- Use only trusted App Markets.
There are several Marketplaces out there, beside Google's Android Market.  Aside from the included Google Android Market, I also have Amazon's App Store installed.  For those who aren't familiar with Amazon's offering, their prices are competitive with Google's Android Market.  However, Amazon gives away a paid app for free everyday.  Sometimes the apps are rather simple or dull.  And sometimes they are top notch mobile games.

The only catch to Amazon's App Store, is any app you have installed using the Amazon App Store requires the Amazon App Store to be on the device to launch the app.  Otherwise, it's great.

4- Secure your device.
This can be done by setting a lock screen password or gesture on most Android devices.  After all, security threats don't just linger online.  It can come from you leaving your phone plugged up in the break room at work.  Or if your device gets lost or stolen, there are even apps that allow you to remotely wipe or locate your device.

5- Beware of who you share information with online.
It's true, we are as mobile as we ever were.  And we all still require the same amount of data retention on the go as we do sitting on our couches playing with smartphones.  But this same concept can be used in basic, everyday computing as well.  Always remember what services you use on your device, and make sure that they will never send an email asking for your account credentials  If you receive a request via email or live chat asking for any personal information, it's a good idea to contact the host of those services directly (by physically visiting their site, sending an email yourself to their support, or calling them) to verify the situation.  In most cases, you can even forward the email to the host and let them record the email as spam.

Using these 5 simple concepts will make not only your mobile experience a much safer one, but your everyday computer use will benefit too.  It is true that mobile malware is becoming more of a threat to your Android device, but keep in mind that this malware has to be run by you (the user).  So the front line defense for any device should be the user (you) keeping a clear head on what you are running.

read more