The seven deadly security sins

halloweenAs well as the witches, ghosts, ghouls and demons out this Halloween, beware of another trickster – the faceless internet criminal.  To avoid a scary Halloween trick, we here at Symantec are advising people to avoid the Seven Deadly Sins of Internet Security to keep their PCs, their cash and their personal identities safe. So, put away your garlic and silver stakes, instead, avoid indulging in one of the Seven Deadly Internet Security Sins below:

Sloth:  Feeling too lazy to install security updates or patch your machine because you can’t be bothered? This leaves you wide open to infection and potential upset when your identity is stolen!

Gluttony:  Gorging yourself on internet gossip – amongst the cream cakes of celebrity pictures, there may be a dirty malware worm hiding, which could leave a nasty taste in your mouth.

Pride: “I know better than my security software” – people who turn their software off, or ignore the warnings, and proceed to sites or to download stuff anyway may be in for a nasty shock when the viruses creep in!

Lust: Just be careful what you click on. If pictures, videos or links to exciting content take your fancy, check that the site is safe or trusted before you go! Website rating services like Norton SafeWeb will give you some guidance.

Envy: So you want a designer handbag or shoes just like Cheryl Cole’s, but don’t want to pay full price?  Beware of the tricksters who will try and con you into buying  fake goods and potentially hand over your credit card details to criminals.

Greed:   Bargain sales? Two for the price of one? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Wrath: What might happen if you succumb to all of the above? You’ll be full of wrath, as your PC could get infected, your cash could get stolen and your Halloween could prove to be a real life horror!

We continue to advise you to take a common sense approach to combating cybercrime by keeping vigilant with online security. This involves keeping an up to date browser and operating system and ensuring antivirus and firewall software is up to date with the latest definition set.

October 30, 2009 | Filed Under Announcements, Security 

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