Posts Tagged malware

Cyber threats: Protecting yourself against malware

Jul 16

Posted by Blue E Blogger in Tips & Tricks | 2 Comments

This week the team at Internet Explorer HQ have been discussing the computer virus malware. We’ve given a description of the virus and highlighted some of the various examples of it. In our final post of the week we’d like to offer some top tips on avoiding malware.

1. Install Internet Explorer 8! An obvious one but since its launch in March 2009 IE8 has stopped over 560 million attempts to download malware

2. Make sure Internet Explorer’s SmartScreen Filter is turned-on

3. Keep your computer’s software up-to-date. Turn on automatic updating with Microsoft Update. Your operating system and your software programs must be updated regularly.

4. Always use antivirus and antispyware software from trusted sources and keep the software up-to-date. If you use Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP, you can download Microsoft Security Essentials, which offers award-winning, free, anti-virus protection for your home PC .

5. If you use Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008, make sure User Account Control (UAC) is active so that it always notifies you of changes to your computer. Carefully review each message that you receive from UAC before you allow changes to your computer.

6. Don’t click links on suspicious websites or in email messages. Type addresses directly into your browser or use bookmarks. Find out more about how to identify suspicious links here

7. Don’t trust sender information in IMs, email messages, or messages on social networking websites. More tips on safety and social networking here

8. Be careful what you download from the Internet. Files that end in extensions .EXE or .SCR often hide malware. However, even files with familiar extensions such as .PDF can be dangerous.

9. Before you install something, consider the risks and benefits of installing it, and be aware of the fine print. For example, make sure the license agreement does not conceal a warning that you are about to install software with unwanted behaviour.

10. Only download programs and updates from reputable sources. If you use Windows or Microsoft Office, always go to Microsoft Update. For other software, always use the legitimate websites of the company or person who produces the software.

Go to http://www.microsoft.com/protect/ to get more tips on how to stay safe online

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Cyber threats: The effects of malware

Jul 14

Posted by Blue E Blogger in In the news | No Comments

This week we’re looking at some examples of Malware attacks. The virus is one of the most widespread computer viruses and worryingly June saw a surge in attacks. A recent article in IT Pro also highlighted two new pieces of malware targeting UK bank customers.

This new malware virus works by creating a fake bank login page and then takes your details once you’ve entered them and then uses those credentials to perform an “authorised” monetary transfer.

Internet Explorer 8 continues to be the best defence against malware. As we said in our previous post, since its creation IE8 has stopped in excess of 560 million attempted downloads. If you haven’t already, click here to download the latest version of Internet Explorer. If you’re worried about the malware virus make sure you log on this Friday when we will be sharing our advice on how best to protect your PC against it.

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Cyber threats

Jul 13

Posted by Blue E Blogger in Uncategorized | No Comments

Over the coming weeks we’re going to be dissecting some of the most common cyber threats out there and offering advice on how best to protect your PC against them. This week we’re going to talk about the most common threat to your PC: Malware. Since its launch in March 2009 Internet Explorer 8 has stopped over 560 million attempts to download malware.

So exactly what is Malware I hear you ask? Short for malicious software, it is a software designed to infiltrate a computer system without the owner’s knowledge or permission. The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile or annoying software or program code.

Software is considered to be malware based on the perceived intent of the creator rather than any particular features. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware, most rootkits, and other malicious and unwanted software.

But how does Internet Explorer 8 block malware? By using its SmartScreen technology IE8 focuses on identifying and blocking sites on the web that are distributing malicious software.  SmartScreen can block new threats from existing malicious sites, even if those threats are not yet blocked by traditional anti-virus or anti-malware signatures

In our posts this week we will be highlighting the effects of malware and how you can protect your PC against it.

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Stay safe with Internet Explorer

Jun 15

Posted by Blue E Blogger in Tips & Tricks | 1 Comment

Here at IE HQ we are always looking to improve your internet experience. We understand that alongside speed, security is one of the most important factors to a great Internet experience and we are continually developing our products so that viruses such as Malware do not affect your PC.

This week the blog will look at security and offer a few more tips on how to keep your PC safe.

  1. Keep your computer software up to date. Keep all software (including your web browser) current with automatic updates. If you are not already running Internet Explorer 8, the latest version of our web browser, click the button to the right to get it.
  2. Defend your computer. Use firewall, antivirus, antispam, and antispyware software. For an added layer of protection on your PC, you can download Microsoft Security Essentials for free or find other antivirus solutions.
  3. Avoid phishing scams and malware.By default Internet Explorer 8 runs SmartScreen Filter to help block and warn you of malicious software or phishing threats. SmartScreen Filter alerts you if a site you are trying to open has been reported as unsafe and allows you to report any unsafe sites you find.
  4. Never respond to unsolicited requests to update your account information. These e-mail messages might be scams for stealing your identity. Most legitimate companies never send unsolicited e-mail or instant message requests for your passwords or other personal information. And remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
  5. Browse more privately. When you’re using a public computer to check e-mail or you’re shopping for a “surprise” gift on a family PC, it’s a good idea to use InPrivate Browsing—a feature that helps prevent your browsing history, cookies, and other information from being retained on your computer.

If you’d like more top tips on staying safe online click here

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/tips-and-tricks/safer-online-shopping.aspx

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IE8 SmartScreen has blocked over 560 million attempts to download malware

Mar 15

Posted by Blue E Blogger in Uncategorized | No Comments

At the recent RSA 2010 Security Conference in San Francisco, Microsoft Program Manager Eric Lawrence was struck by how many of the speeches warned about the threat that socially-engineered malware poses to the security of the Internet.

Malware, which is short for malicious software, is designed to infiltrate a computer without the owner’s consent. In recent years it has become a real concern as many people often think they are downloading games or free videos when in fact they are downloading Trojans and viruses. Our data shows that one out of every 250 downloads is the result of a user being tricked into downloading malware to their PC.

Microsoft works tirelessly to stop malware and is proud of the protection the SmartScreen® Filter provides to IE8 users from such attacks.

To quote Eric:

“Since we launched IE8 in March 2009, SmartScreen has blocked over 560 million attempts to download malware, recently averaging over 3 million blocks per day! Hosted in datacenters around the world, SmartScreen’s URL Reputation Service (URS) has evaluated over 250 billion URLs to help keep IE8 users safe from malware. Even more impressively, since IE7’s Phishing Filter was introduced in 2005, the URS has processed over 5.7 trillion reputation requests in order to block malicious web sites. Every day, Microsoft receives around 300 million telemetry reports from IE8 users and processes 4.1 billion URLs looking for malicious websites and files. On the back end, our systems and analysts evaluate over 1 terabyte of binaries every day to help identify sites delivering malware.”

Internet Explorer 8 is the latest version of Internet Explorer and has been designed to provide market leading protection against malware. Older browsers will not have the same level of protection. If your family and friends are not using Internet Explorer 8, please encourage them to upgrade for a safer Internet experience.

For more information visit http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2010/03/05/ie8-smartscreen-filter-protecting-users-at-internet-scale.aspx

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