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  • Rants and raves!  I think we have all become accustomed to the monthly updates from Microsoft but what gives with Adobe?  Reader and Flash have now become one of the threats for users.  Keep your Adobe Reader and Flash applications updated, REGULARLY!
  • For all the MAC Fan Boys out there who claim that MACs are safer than a Windows box.  Well yes and no.  I guess I can answer that by saying that a car that never leaves the garage is safer than one used everyday also.  Apple has somewhere around 7% of the desktop market.  No self respecting virus writer ( spelled..LOWEST FORM OF HUMANITY) is going to waste much of their time for 7% of the market.

 

 

  • Shopping Securely on the Internet and "Phishing"
  1. Shopping Securely while Online

How Do You Know the Merchant you are buying from is conducting business in a secure manner and is really who they say they are?

  • First of all the URL of the site should begin with https://  when you begin to enter any of your confidential data.  When SSL encryption is enabled (the use of https), a small closed lock will appear at the bottom of the screen showing you that you are indeed dealing with a secure site.  Great! No worries...not so fast.  Right click that lock and go to properties.  You will now see the Site Certificate for that site and all of its associated details.

 

  • You need to see who issued the certificate, such as Verisign, Microsoft, and any number of other agencies.  Companies such as these are known as "Trusted Certification Root Authorities".  In order to be issued a certificate by a CA (Certificate Authority), you must present credentials verifying who you are.  Think of it as the police officer asking for your "license and registration". 

 

  • Great! I see a certificate so all is good!  Not so fast again...Anyone can create what is called a "Self-Signed Certificate" so pay close attention to who the Issuing Authority actually is and the expiration date of the certificate.  Certificates expire just like anything else and have to be renewed to be fully trusted.

 

  • I would advise you to never conduct financial business with a site that has a  self signed certificate, unless you can personally gurantee the authenticity of the site.