PETALING JAYA, 15 July 2015: Hari Raya is weeks away, and there will be much to do before, during and after the festivities. Aside from shopping, fasting, feasting and planning the ‘Balik Kampung’ journey, security should and will also be heavy on our minds.
We know that we need to lock and secure our homes, possibly with a home security system. We might place our valuables in a safety deposit box at home, or at the bank. We might even inform the local police to include our home on their patrols.
However, we are often lulled into a false sense of security when it comes to our online assets such as our identity, data, financial, online payment and social media accounts.
According to statistic, online products delivered via virtual stores have risen tremendously from 29 million in 2011 to a staggering 40 million in 2013. A spike of 25 to 30% is observed in online shopping in the last two weeks before Hari Raya.
Kaspersky Lab, one of the world’s fastest-growing cybersecurity companies and the largest that is privately-owned, is sharing some of useful tips to keep you save and sound during this Hari Raya with its award-winning security solution products.
Deceitful greeting cards
Who doesn’t love receiving festive e-greetings? However some e-cards and videos may harbor Trojan software. You could receive a message that looks as though it was sent by a legitimate sender. Normally, this e-card will ask you to download an attachment that, at first sight, appears safe and trustworthy. In reality, it is a Trojan that infects your PC and waits until you try to use your banking credentials online. Then it will show you a popup window suggesting that you verify or update your billing info. If you do, you may find your account cleaned out without you having a chance to spend it.
By installing effective anti-malware software, you can defend your PC and even your smartphones against Trojans. A rigorous anti-malware such as Kaspersky Internet Security 2015 will detect and prevent Trojan attacks on your PC, while Kaspersky Mobile Security can deliver world-class virus protection for Android smartphones.
Infectious online discounts
Who could not resist “70% discount” or “Buy-One-Free-One” while shopping online for your Raya ensembles? In fact, ‘too good to be true’ promotions that appear to be offered by air carriers, tour operators and online shops, could be fraudulent and contain malicious software in the attachments.
You can avoid becoming a victim by utilizing Kaspersky Internet Security 2015’s URL Advisor. Whenever you surf the web, Kaspersky’s updated URL Advisor adds color-coded tags to all web links within the list of search results – to warn you about the danger level of any links.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2015 also provides additional layers of protection during financial transactions, such as online banking and shopping, and using payment systems using Unique Safe Money Technology.
The price of compassion
Hari Raya is all about giving and caring. An e-mail in your inbox asking to send some donations to orphanages or old folks homes is common during this festive season. However, be cautious before clicking to donate as some of these may be scams.
The fraudulent email may also contain suspicious links which may appear as ‘spelling mistakes’ in the website’s address. Eventually, these links will lead you to a phising website-a spoofed site which tries to steal your account password or other confidential information by tricking you into believing you are at a legitimate website.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2015’s advanced anti-phishing technologies proactively detect fraudulent URLs and use real-time information from the cloud, to help to ensure you are not tricked into disclosing your valuable data to phishing websites.
Beware of public Wi-Fi
Some of us may have faced the dilemma of heading back to the kampung and being completely helpless as there’s no Wi-Fi available. The most common solution is to go to the nearest coffee shop with Wi-Fi connectivity. However, your emails, passwords, credit card numbers and more can be intercepted when you are connected to a public Wi-Fi network.
Kaspersky Lab Internet Security 2015’s new Wi-Fi Security Notification feature automatically verifies the security of the Wi-Fi connection you’re using, checks for vulnerabilities and warning you about potential risks with advise on adjusting your security settings.
Stay Safe on Social Network
Selfie or wefie in your Hari Raya finery and post the amazing food photographs on Facebook and Instagram, or pin the looks that you aspire to, or tweeting meaningful observations is a great way to share with family and friends. However, you need to be very careful about the type of information shared and who you share to.
Cybercriminals are using a wide range of scams, such as shortened URLs or even mobile apps to phish for personal information. By installing an anti-malware solution on your Android smartphone and tablet such as Kaspersky Internet Security for Android, it will ensure your safety as well as giving you warnings if you receive any malicious links or software from your friends.
