Phishing Viruse Removal Computer Repair

Phishing and Identity Theft:

The Bait: Email or pop-up messages that claim to be from a business or organization you may deal with – say, an Internet Service Provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or even a government agency. The message may ask you to "update," "validate," or "confirm" your account information or face dire consequences.

The Catch: Phishing is a scam where internet fraudsters send spam or pop-up messages to reel in personal and financial information from unsuspecting victims. The messages direct you to a website that looks just like a legitimate organization's site, or to a phone number purporting to be real. But these are bogus and exist simply to trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal it, fake your identity, and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.

Your Safety Net:

Make it a policy never to respond to emails or pop-ups that ask for your personal or financial information, click on links in the message, or call phone numbers given in the message. Don't cut and paste a link from the message into your Web browser, either: phishers can make links look like they go one place, but then actually take you to a look-alike site. If you are concerned about your account, contact the organization using a phone number you know to be genuine, or open a new internet browser session and type in the company's correct Web address yourself. Using anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a firewall, and keeping them up to date, can help.

The Downside:
Some antivirus programs are very effective at stopping phishing. And some, by the same manufacturers are not.

When you purchase an antivirus/antispyware version of their programs, you usually do not get phishing protection.

When you purchase the same brand, but instead purchase the Internet Protection Suite, the 360 suite, or other high end program, you'll get protection from phishing.

Sadly though, this protection takes a significant cost from you in slower Internet access. These programs generally work by capturing the web page, checking it for viruses, and then checking back with HQ to see if its safe. After it does all that, it lets you see the page. The delay ususally takes 3 or 4 seconds when you have broadband. If your connection is slower, you could wait and extra 10 seconds for every web page you visit.

Supertecs recommends you use the antivirus/antispyware version of protection, and use common sense about giving out your personal information. Never buy anything the Internet suggests, that you did not initiate a search for.
Keep your computer clean, run scans often. If your computer is misbehaving, give us a call.