SecurityRatty: Top 10 computer virus threat and what can you do about it?

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Top 10 computer virus threat and what can you do about it?

2006-12-05 06:09:00 by RaviC in Musings on Information Security

Here is a listing of Top 10 Threats by McAfee Inc. This is a good laundry list, but does not mention What Can YOU Do (WCYD) about these threats.

1. Number of password-stealing Web sites will increase using fake sign-in pages for popular online services

WCYD: You can visually verify the URL or even better type the URL on your own rather than clicking on a link received via email.

2. Volume of spam, particularly bandwidth-eating image spam, will rise

WCYD: You can't do much about this other than enabling text only viewing on their mail application. You can hope that your security administrators will install anti SPAM gateway which can filter out image SPAM.

3. Popularity of video sharing on the Web makes it inevitable that hackers will target MPEG files

WCYD: Stick to well known video sharing sites and hope that they do something about this! or even stay away from video sharing sites if practical.

4. Mobile phone attacks will become more prevalent as mobile devices become smarter.

WCYD: Install mobile phone anti-virus software. Make sure that signature is updated. This could be one of the things to ask the mobile company before you buy your next mobile phone.

5. Adware will go mainstream

WCYD: You can't do much about this. You could discourage products from companies that use this slimy advertising channel.

6. Identity theft and data loss will continue to be a public issue

WCYD: Identity theft has been a nuisance for several years. The victims of identity fraud include lawyers, doctors and security professionals. It is a good idea to protect yourself so that you don't become a identity theft victim by following these guidelines.

7. The use of bots will increase as a tool favoured by hackers

WCYD: You can't do much about hacker's trend. You can prevent your computer being used as a bot by installing firewall to block unauthorized services. Installing anti-virus, anti-spyware and host intrusion prevention system will provide layered defense.

8. Parasitic malware, or viruses that modify existing files on a disk, will make a comeback

WCYD: You can install anti-virus Et. Al.

9. The number of rootkits on 32-bit platforms will increase

WCYD: Your traditional anti-virus software usually comes with rootkit detection, removal capability. Make sure to check with your anti-virus software vendor about its effectiveness in the removal of rootkits. I heard Symantec Norton ranks best in rootkit removal, but you should consult experts before you make the decision.

10. Vulnerabilities will continue to cause concern fueled by the underground market for vulnerabilities

WCYD: You can't do much about this other than not supporting folks who try to create a market for vulnerabilities.