5 Security threats of 2011

Big Security threats of 2011

In this article Five Big Security Threats for 2011 by Ian Paul for PC world magazine. It talks about five specific that could be security risks to your computer.  One of the big problems for security is mobile apps. About 85% of adults in the United States own a smart phone which makes it a great target for viruses. “As recently as March 1, more than 50 third-party applications on Google's official Android Market contained a Trojan called DroidDream. When you run a DroidDream application for the first time, the malware gains administrator access over your phone without your permission, according to mobile security firm Lookout. That means it could download more malicious programs to your phone without your knowledge and steal data saved on your device.” This app would be later taken from the android market, but it did cause some problems for some users. Though there are ways to protect yourself from these apps. “Avoid installing any applications you get from unknown sources. That .apk file may be titled "Fruit Ninja" but in reality is a Trojan horse waiting to be unleashed. Don't forget that a number of mobile antivirus apps are available for Android, and it may be wise to have at least one installed on your phone.”

Then another risk comes from when you’re on facebook and you get a invite to join a game or program. This could be a virus or a scam to get information from you. “Social network scams often take the form of phishing attacks that try to lure you in with photos or videos, and harvest your personal information or Facebook login--or worse, infect your PC with malware--along the way. Often, these links will come from Facebook friends who fall victim to these scams. You could also run across rogue Facebook applications that try to access your Facebook data and that of your friends.” Another thing you should look out for is when you surfing the net watch out for fake antivirus downloads. Also you could be downloading something else and they might automatically offer you a antivirus you don’t have to accept it and you should not.“First and foremost, make sure you are running a security program that's current--especially one that effectively block brand-new malware”another big problem comes from getting viruses in your email. “It may be the oldest online scam in the book, but e-mail loaded with malware attachments is still a big problem despite a high degree of awareness and robust antivirus scanning in Webmail clients such as Gmail and Yahoo Mail. Cluley puts the number of malware-related e-mails sent every day in the "millions," and says that "more and more spam is less about touting Viagra or fake degrees” best way to defend yourself from this is by havinga antivirus software on your computer. this will defend you for the most part against this. There are also things called war game. "State-sponsored malware attacks, industrial espionage, and hacktivism are on the rise, according to Perimeter E-Security's Jaquith. They may not be threats that affect everyone, but if you manage security for a business, they are the sorts of issues you should be paying attention to." best way to protect yourself against this would be prevention of malware through the users, and prevent users from leaks.