Site educates on holiday-themed online threats
Did your brother-in-law really send you a singing holiday card? Did a long-lost friend from college really include you on this year's list?
One inexpensive way to send holiday cheer may be to send e-cards, but security vendor AVG warned on Tuesday that online criminals are taking advantage of the fact most people don't know the difference between a legitimate e-card and one hosting malware.
Last week security vendors warned of a Trojan horse masquerading as holiday-themed e-cards from McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and Hallmark.
To better educate the public, AVG has launched a site, "Slam the Holiday Scam,", co-sponsored with CyberStreetSmart.org and i-Safeworking, and is working to team with various online safety organizations such as the National Crime Prevention Council, the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, CyberStreetSmart.org, i-Safe, the National Cyber Security Alliance, and Consumers Union, and Protection from Brand Infection.
The tips, which should be familiar to most online users, include:
- Don't open attachments because most legitimate e-cards include links to the company's Web site that allow you to go directly to your card.
- If something looks a little strange or "phishy" just delete the card.
- Use security software on your desktop.
- Watch out for misspelled words or names, a disguised name (such as Your Friend, A Secret Admirer), or an odd URL.
- Always read the fine print before accepting any terms.
As CNET's resident security expert, Robert Vamosi has been interviewed on the BBC, CNN, MSNBC, and other outlets to share his knowledge about the latest online threats and to offer advice on personal and corporate security. Listen to his podcast at securitybites.cnet.com or e-mail Robert with your questions and comments. 
One bit of advice I'd give fellow consumers is to really examine the sites they're buying from (or sites they click through to) -- all vendors should have some kind of protection, and the most trusted have gone through a detailed review to receive extended validation ssl certs (I've seen too many scams in my day, so I only buy from EV SSL-protected sites now). I strongly urge merchants to update their security before the holidays are up -- and consumers, look for that green url bar.
- by derekde March 12, 2009 8:16 PM PDT
- We actually design <a href="http://www.progressivemediagroup.ca/corporate-holiday-ecards.php">corporate holiday e-cards</a> and we found in 2006 and 2007 malware infected e-cards was more of an issue, than last year. Although, last year, we still had a few who were 'concerned'. It is a shame how this medium is still being exploited. But, it's great to see so many online safety organizations helping to educate people.
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- by derekde March 12, 2009 8:18 PM PDT
- Opps! sorry about the html in the comment :(
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