By Dan Kittay
Owner, Kittay New Media

Many people believe the Internet, and specifically the Web, is going through a critical time these days. I happen to be one of them.

While people have gotten used to doing things like shopping online or conducting research or downloading music files (you do pay for yours, don’t you?), an increasing number of attacks by malicious software (written by malicious people) threatens the security of e-commerce and, by extension, people’s confidence in using it. This is a concern for all of us who use the Web.

Viruses, worms, Trojan horses and the like used to be known mainly as inconveniences that might slow down a network, or clog an e-mail box, or even erase some files. But these and other mechanisms are increasingly being used by criminal elements to target computers, for things like identity theft, password retrieval, and taking over computers so they can be used for spamming or other illegal activities.

Your computer can be used without your ever knowing about it. Where older virus writers used to take pride in letting you know somehow that they had invaded your system, those who what to use it for stealth purposes now go to lengths to disguise their efforts, even causing the software they load on your computers to change itself periodically so it’s harder to be traced.

So maybe now you’re thinking that it’s time to unplug your computer from the Internet and go back to phone calls and faxes. That’s not necessary, of course, but some common sense and a little pre-emptive work can make your Web safer, and by extension mine and everyone else’s. You can’t stop people from writing malware, but you can take some steps to help prevent its spread.

• Install virus protection, firewall and spyware protection software, and keep them up-to-date.

Any time you’re online, you run the risk of being exposed to software that attempts to attack your computer. It can come from an e-mail, or a visit to a Web site. Make sure you have all 3 of the types of software listed above, and update them regularly. If you connect to the Net through your internal network, make sure your IT staff keeps all that software (and hardware) up-to-date. If they are not current, they won’t be able to stop the latest variations.

• Never click on a link or open an attachment in an unsolicited e-mail.

Any reputable bank or company that you do business with will never send you an e-mail that requires you to click on a link in order to fill in “missing” information, such as your password or Social Security Number. These phony e-mails are known as “phishing,” and are attempts by criminals to get your private information. Even if you see a link in an e-mail that looks legitimate, it can still take you to a fake Web site that resembles the one that the real company operates. If you want to go to the real Web site, type in its address in your browser and go there directly. And while some malware doesn’t require that you open an attachment in order to infect your system, some does, so never open attachments unless you know what they are. If you’re not sure, ask the person who sent it before opening it.

• Always install the latest patches for your system.

Whether you use Windows, Mac or another system, always keep it up-to-date with the latest security patches. The time you take to install them could save you many headaches later, and prevent you from spreading harmful software to other users. Same thing for your IT staff. While it’s time-consuming to keep on top of the latest patches, and perhaps have to restart servers, it take less time to do that than to recover from some disaster caused or spread by out-of-date software. Be sure to give your IT staff time to build in those efforts into their schedules.