Tuesday, January 12, 2016

New Year = Same Stuff

   It's a new year, but the same kind of online problems we've seen over the past few years are still here and are more prevalent than ever.

   Here's a great video about this issue by Media Pro:
Don't Let Malware Spoil the Fun from MediaPro on Vimeo. (I can't embed the video here, but do click on the link to view it.)

   The video reminds us that malware can, unfortunately, be found in many places including:
  • insecure websites
  • email attachments
  • browser add-ons
  • USB sticks
  • PDF files
   In additional to slowing down your system and causing it to not operate correctly, many kinds of malware try to grab your personal or work information.

   As we discussed here recently, your home computer defense toolkit should include:
  • anti-malware software
  • automatic updates
   But software tools are not enough.  You need to take action to protect your data and your computer:  Remember:
  1. You didn't win!...If it's too good to be true, it probably isn't true.
  2. Be careful with attachments, unknown programs, or files from USB sticks.
  3. Keep your software up to date.
   Let's do what we can to keep ourselves, our data (and our patients', customers' and clients' data) and our computers safe in 2016!