Author: Nick

Security

Phishing via Facebook (i.e., Phacebook)

Nick

There have been numerous reports of phishing attempts this past weekend being propagated throughout Facebook. Facebook users are receiving messages that contain a link in a format similar to: tinyurl.com/….. Clicking on the link (or previewing it) will redirect you to a malicious site which impersonates the Facebook login page in an attempt to steal your Facebook credentials. In addition, many of these malicious sites will attempt to silently infect your computer. If you receive any Facebook messages like this, simply delete them without clicking on the link. In general, while making on-line life easier, tinyurl links make it far … Continue reading Phishing via Facebook (i.e., Phacebook)

Email, Security

Avoid IRS Phishing Attempts!

Nick

All you need to know is: the IRS does NOT initiate taxpayer communications through email. So, if you receive an unsolicited email from the IRS, it’s not from them!! Discard it. In addition, if you do email the IRS directly and then receive a response, keep in mind that they will – NEVER request detailed personal information through email – NEVER request information like PIN numbers, passwords, credit card numbers or other account information The IRS has a simple but informative web page with additional information about identifying and reporting phishing attempts, fake IRS web sites, etc. You can find … Continue reading Avoid IRS Phishing Attempts!

Security, Software

Serious Unpatched Security Vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat

Nick

UPDATE #2: Adobe has now released patches for versions 7, 8 and 9 of Acrobat and Reader for both Windows and Mac platforms. Please refer to the links below. Click here for Windows Click here for Mac UPDATE #1: Adobe has released version 9.1 for Windows and Mac platforms. A patch for older versions is expected on or around March 25th. If you’re running version 9, you can open your existing Adobe application and then click on ‘Check for Updates’ in the Help menu. You can also get the update directly from their website (you must already be at version … Continue reading Serious Unpatched Security Vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat

Faculty/Staff, Security, Software, Students, Tips

Important (but easy) Tips for Office Computer Security

Nick

Hackers especially love the holidays because there are lots of new, unprotected computers to compromise and silently take over. Even without new computers to exploit, there has been an alarming increase in the amount of malware (viruses, spyware, etc.) being installed recently on Swarthmore community systems. The following tips will help keep your existing computer (regardless of operating system), and especially new out-of-the-box systems, more resistant to viruses, spyware and other malware. These tips are crucial to protecting the contents and integrity of your office computer. Of course, these tips also apply to your home computer. For more security tips, … Continue reading Important (but easy) Tips for Office Computer Security

Security, Software

Tis the Season to… PATCH!

Nick

There have been a lot of patches/fixes released recently for various applications and operating systems. It’s ALWAYS important to apply these patches as soon as they become available. Why? Because someone somewhere will be trying to compromise your computer via these unpatched weaknesses. Most often, simply browsing a web site can be enough to infect your machine. Some operating systems and applications are pretty good at automatically upgrading when patches become available. Others, not so much. One recently released, important patch is the fix for Internet Explorer’s latest security hole. If configured correctly, your Windows PC should’ve already downloaded and … Continue reading Tis the Season to… PATCH!

Public Computing, Security, Software, Tips

Important Security Warning for Internet Explorer Users

Nick

UPDATE: Microsoft has released a patch for this important security hole. Your Windows PC should’ve installed the patch already (indicated by a pesky need to reboot). If not or if you’re unsure, you can run Microsoft Update (or Windows Update) or go to the Microsoft Download Center. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A security exposure was recently discovered within Internet Explorer (IE) that could allow malicious software to be installed on your computer without your knowledge. There is virtually no limit to what this malicious software could do once installed but might include logging user keystrokes, stealing passwords, etc. Simply browsing an infected or … Continue reading Important Security Warning for Internet Explorer Users