Suzanne Beaubien
Sun
Unless you’re willing to disconnect your cable connection or wireless card and live entirely offline, it’s impossible to escape the fact that threats to your computer can sneak in any time you connect to the Internet.
According to the last Internet security threat report from security software giant Symantec, Canada rated second in the world in terms of malicious activity on the Internet.
Meanwhile, the report says, home computer users accounted for 95 per cent of all targeted attacks in the first six months of 2007.
The average computer user may not have the savvy to stop all spyware and phishing attacks or secure a wireless connection on their own. But new technology aims to help in the fight against data theft and online identity fraud.
— Yoggie sounds like a cute name for a puppy, but this miniature security hardware appliance is like an attack dog that guards your laptop from Internet threats when you’re using it in public places. The company touts the device for corporate computers on the go: while most company laptops are secure when tapped into the corporate network, they may become vulnerable to threats when used on their own. But just plug Yoggie’s Gatekeeper Pico Pro into your USB port and the portable hardware firewall hides the laptop’s IP address from outside attacks, while fending off spyware, phishing attacks and viruses. It even makes it safe to use public wireless hot spots. (Yoggie Gatekeeper Pico Pro, $199 US, available at www.yoggie.com.)
— For PC users, McAfee’s Internet Security Suite with Site Advisor promises to protect home computer users from identity theft by alerting users to phishing attacks. Phishers seek to steal valuable personal information by baiting computer users with phony e-mails or websites designed to look like they’re a reputable organization, often a bank, eBay, Paypal or a credit card company. But McAfee’s AntiPhishing browser plug-in will identify and block such websites and scams, alerting the user that they’ve landed on a known or suspected phishing website. McAfee’s Internet Security Suite with Site Advisor ($79.99 Cdn) is available for download at ca.mcafee.com.
— Meanwhile Symantec’s Norton Confidential aims to give Mac users similar peace of mind when making sensitive transactions online by protecting against dangerous phishing attempts. Like McAfee’s Site Advisor, Norton Confidential maintains a database of known and suspected phishing sites, and alerts users to the safety of the sites they’re visiting. Its Information Guard feature also purportedly prevents your personal information from theft by preventing protected data from exiting the computer. For example, you can block your credit card information, social insurance number and passwords from being transmitted without your permission. Norton Confidential ($49.95 US) is available for download at www.symantec.com.
— Not all identity thefts require a degree in computer programming. Data loss can also be the result of good, old-fashioned five-finger discounts, so it’s important to keep your computer under lock and key. But if thieves run off with your laptop while your back is turned, the free download LaptopLock can keep sensitive files safe and prevent identity theft on Windows computers. First, you must create an account at www.thelaptoplock.com and download the corresponding software. After that, if your computer is snatched, you can log in into your account and mark the laptop status as stolen. Then, when that machine connects to the Internet, LaptopLock can erase or encrypt sensitive files, track IP addresses used by the thief and even sound an alarm for sweet revenge. Download available for free at www.thelaptoplock.com.
© The Vancouver Sun 2008
