17 High-Risk Security Threats (And How to Fix Them)
By Andrew Brandt, PC World
If you use a social network, a Web browser, a public computer or a cell phone, beware: Your PC, your bank account and your personal privacy are at risk. Here are 17 common threats, with fixes for each one.
Network worms. Phishing e-mail. Drive-by downloads. Data sniffed from an open wireless network. To use a computer safely in the 21st century, you have to be prepared to combat a growing number of constantly evolving security threats.
But for every potential pitfall that malware hunters expose and neutralize, there seem to be five more waiting for a careless PC user to plummet into. Your job is to anticipate and evade a vast array of cleverly devised booby traps meant to catch the unwary.
In the series of articles listed in the box below, we address 17 top security threats that you might not be aware of, together with advice on how to defeat them.
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Top security risks and how to minimize them:
- Plug security holes in your browser
- Stop operating-system attacks
- Lock down the data in your apps
- Keep your cell phone info private
- Safeguard your online security
- Protect your online passwords
- Beat card skimmer scams and other money drains
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Knowledge is power in this game. The Internet's hucksters, smash-and-grab practitioners and con artists make a living off victims who fail to recognize the tricks of their trade. Failing to take precautions against the current wave of threats is akin to driving cross-country without a spare tire: You might get away with it, but setting off unprepared for trouble can be expensive and very inconvenient if your luck goes bad.
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