Malware Spread by Sites like Facebook results in losses of over 13.3 billion dollars worldwide

Financial losses of over 13.3 billion dollars worldwide have been attributed to social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Youtube etc...! The estimate provided by "Computer Economics" is for losses by businesses worldwide and does n0t even include us private citizens nor does it include the many reports of stalking and, even, murder
Sites like Facebook are revolutionizing the way we stay in touch. Without Facebook I would not have the means or the time to stay in touch with old friends and family as I now do.... and this is a very good thing. Do you enjoy the personal interaction as much or more than I do? I thought so.

Facebook alone has over 350 million subscribers which would make it the forth largest country in the world (If it were a country). This has made Facebook and other social networking sites (Twitter, Youtube, Buzz etc...) very attractive to organized crime. These are not kids hidden away in some basement messing with a computer. These cyber-criminals are sophisticated and use socially engineered ploys to dupe people into handing over their identities and then get their cash.

Does this story sound familiar?
"Several weeks ago, I got a message from a Facebook friend suggesting I check out a link she had forwarded. As my index finger hovered above the anchor text, deep down inside something went, “Not so fast.” I opted out of the click-through and, as it turns out, I made the right choice. A few hours later, I received a desperate and dramatic email message from my friend saying, “I’ve been corrupted!” Hackers had gotten a hold of her Facebook password and were passing themselves off as her — those cads."

Users think nothing of sharing otherwise confidential information that they would never leave on an answering machine (birthdate, place of employment, telephone number, email address, home address, when they will be away and so much more... everything about themselves. It doesn't have to be this way. I know plenty of people that list nothing at all except the city they live in and the names of their kids. They also make sure their privacy settings are reviewed regularly for accuracy and software protection is up to date.

This is intended to scare you... don't let it. There is something to learn from it... This has nothing to do with money either:

Stay Tuned for Next week's Post: What you can do to protect yourself on Facebook and other sites like it!

If you are also in business and your staff are not currently blocked from visiting Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Youtube and similar websites, you need to speak to your local IT Professional... (Yes, I'm tooting my own horn again, GEEKS UNLIMITED can help you with this and many other areas of concern that are costing you a lot of money)

Tah! for now and remember: There is no secret road to happiness, happiness IS the road.

While researching this, I found these little tidbits, the first is an example of the negative and I have absolutely no way of validating any of it so I assume it's a lot of BS

FACEBOOK - CIA Profile Database


Be Careful What You Put On The Internet:


Victim of Facebook stalking (Funny but does make the point):

Safe Surfing Habits Can Save You Money

Hope you have never seen this before!

Please Send a Link to this page to all your friends.

Well! I was going to write about some of the best tools available for cleaning malware and virus infections from your computer. A little bit of common sense (and the little voice in my head that tries to keep me out of trouble) told me that "Prevention" would be the best topic to address first.

Many computer users, whether they use a Windows PC or a MAC, will use a PC repair service like ours to deal with problems resulting from risky browsing habits. There are so many dangerous websites and programs in the uncontrolled environment of the internet, that a person has to be prudent and use a few precautions. Even legitimate sites like Facebook etc... will expose you to risks. They oftentimes include links which are engineered to look attractive and innocent. One click and...... BAM. (Not unlike those emails many of you have been unable to resist for one reason or the other)

There are a couple of fundamental steps that every user can take to decrease the chances that you will be victimized by such problems. Prudent security habits can save a lot of money that would otherwise have to be spent on computer repair work.

Use a safer browser:
Not all internet browsers are created equal. In addition, most of the good ones do have safety features and give warning messages when it thinks you are doing something which could potentially be dangerous. Unfortunately, many people, out of perceived convenience or indifference, do not heed the warnings or turn the safety features off. Some argue that Internet Explorer poses additional risks due to its use of ActiveX controls. This is true only to some extent. Because of this and also because they know they are taking risks, many users opt for browsers that do not use this feature for daily browser use. Most select either Firefox, Google Chrome , Safari or Opera. There are others of course. Personally, I favor Flock.

In spite of all this, it is also a fact that many people use Internet Explorer (Even on the MAC) exclusively and never have a problem. Of course these same people never surf to porn sites, don't bother with social sites (like Facebook, twitter) nor do they download music or programs from file sharing websites. So, this fact alone proves that being safe really means being cautious and avoiding risky behaviour.

Install all Security Updates:
Your operating systems (Windows and MAC OSx) have pre-installed tools to help you combat dangerous programs. By way of example, Microsoft Windows has a feature called Windows Updates which provides recurring security updates. You should have these set to run automatically or, if you prefer to do this yourself, make sure you do so weekly or even daily.

In addition, there are also Antivirus updates and things like that. These updates are issued based on newly discovered vulnerabilities, the latest viruses and spyware that are affecting machines around the world. It is imperative that you don't miss out on these software patches.

These steps alone could cut down on the need for future computer repair work, saving you a ton of money.

These updates are provided free of charge so don't be caught where a free online update might have solved a problem. If you are a MAC user, this also applies to you.

Use Antivirus/ Anti-malware software and use them properly:
Please ... check your system for viruses at least once per week, more often if you prefer. Most of these programs can be set to run a scan automatically in a way that it does not interfere with your schedule. Learn how to use them and remember it is important to always download the most recent program version before running your scan. Many programs can even be scheduled to that for you automatically. You also need the newest virus definitions which usually come in with your regular updates. Do your research, consult with a competent IT person, make sure the programs you are using are legitimate, work properly and meet your security needs. So many dangerous programs profess to be virus scan programs. Top rated and legitimate antivirus and anti-malware programs will prevent you from wasting money on unwarranted visits from your PC repair service.

Regularly Purge (delete) Temporary Files:
There are free programs that will automatically purge or delete temporary files. Temporary files, including cookies is a preferred hiding place for tracking files and dangerous applications. Get in the habit of using a program to delete these files on a regular basis. Some people I know delete them after each browsing session. By doing this, you will significantly lessen the odds that you will be victimized by spyware. Temporary files also eat into your hard drive space. The worst case I have ever seen of this concerned a customer who had virtually no hard drive space left at all. A cleaning of temporary file free up 70% of used drive space.

Remove unnecessary startup programs:
A number of spyware programs will bury themselves in your computers startup processes. These startup programs significantly complicate the removal process. There are free programs available that alert you to these and allow you to disable them. This is another precautionary step that could make the difference between running your computer safely and needing to spend a pretty penny on computer repair work. Once viruses have been permitted to run during the boot cycle, a PC repair service will probably be necessary to solve the problem.

Here's a list of just some of the FAKE antivirus and FAKE anti-malware software out there. These actually infect your computer, not the other way around. BE AWARE: BEWARE

Of course... if something does happen and you cannot deal with it, you could always use a service such as the one offered by GEEKS UNLIMITED Technical Services. There I go, TOOTING my own horn again :o)

As usual, I invite your feedback, whatever it may be. Help spread the world, please forward a link to this page to all your friends.

And remember, "There is no secret road to happiness, Happiness IS the road."