The threat of online security :how safe is our data?

The threat online security always occurs when someone poses as a legitimate company to obtain sensitive personal data and fraudulently conducts transactions on your existing accounts. The current methods of online fraud are fraudulent emails, websites, and pop-up windows, or any combination of these.

Fraudulent emails will often ask for personal information and contain an overly generic greeting and may claim that your information has been compromised, that your account has been frozen, or ask you to confirm the authenticity of your transactions. Usually appear to come from a legitimate source. While some emails are easily identified as fraudulent, others may appear to come from a legitimate address and trusted online source. Do not rely on the name or address in the "From" field, as this is easily altered. Sample of a FAKE email being circulated:

From: Maybank Bhd
To: user@website.com.my
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 10:58 AM
Subject: Alert Security Warning

Dear Maybank Berhad Customer,

At Maybank, we are dedicated to protect record and online information of our customer using any necessary security measure. We are introducing the New June 2008 Security Process which will protect all customers from the new and latest Spam Attacks.

We have upgraded our GGT-I Server to protect all customers using the new Maybank 56 HT Protection Due to this recent upgrade. All Maybank customers are required to update their information by following the below reference.

For additional security, after completing the first process a TAC code will be sent to your mobile phone. You are then required to fill that code on page two

www.maybank2u.com.my/security/56HT-protectionhtml

Please note that failure to update within this new security will result in account suspension and Maybank will not be held responsible for any loss.

Security Maintenance,

Maybank Bhd.

Beside that, fraudulent emails might be sending containing prizes or gift certificate offers that promise a prize or gift certificate in exchange for completing a survey or answering questions. They may direct you to provide your personal information to collect the alleged prize or certificate. Always confirm that the prize or gift certificate is being issued from a known and trusted company.

Followed by link to fraudulent websites which may direct you to counterfeit websites carefully designed to look legitimate, but which actually collect personal information for fraudulent used like below links that direct you to counterfeit maybank online banking website.

http://www.newsolutions-june2008.com/Maybank2u-Online.htm
http://www.new-malayan-gateway.com/Maybank2u-Online.htm
http://www.new-setupbrands.com/Maybank2u-Online.htm
http://www.may2u-june2007secured.com/Maybank2u-Online.htm -->
http://trackmapper.free.fr/images/_notes/maybank2u.com.my/signon.htm
http://sebastianschaper.net/aegabi06/cache/May2u-Service/Maybank2u_com.html
http://www.may-malayansolutions.com/Maybank2u-Security.htm
http://lordsofexodar.free.fr//images/mbb_login.htm
http://chrysantheme.guilde.free.fr/phpraider//authentication/smf/mbb_login.htm
http://210.217.236.12/wmaster/pop/mayredi.html

Moreover, it also may contain Trojan horses and other computer viruses. Fraudulent emails may include attachments that contain computer viruses, which you can access a virus via a link in an email. (A "Trojan horse" is a particularly harmful virus that can record your keystrokes or relay other information to an unauthorized source.)
Next method of online threat is fraudulent websites attempt to direct you to fraudulent websites via email and pop-up windows and try to collect your personal data. In many cases there is no easy way to determine if you are on a fraudulent website because the URL will contain the name of the institution it is spoofing.

Lastly, current method is pop-up windows, the small windows or ads that appear suddenly over or under the window you are currently viewing, to obtain personal information. These windows may be generated by Adware or spyware a programs possibly hidden in free downloads such as screen savers or music-sharing software and installed on your computer. While many of these programs enable harmless advertisements, some contain potentially harmful Trojan horse programs or may monitor your web viewing activity.

In conclusion to safe our data and information are use a current web browser, install a personal firewall, keep your computer operating system up to date, install, run, and keep anti-virus software updated and avoid downloading programs from unknown sources to prevent our data and information being misuse.