The Practicon Viewpoint by Ann Page Griffin

BEWARE THE PROLIFERATION OF ONLINE SCAMS

Malware is Big Business for Cyber Criminals

Malware is a broad term referring to a variety of malicious software, including viruses, worms, ransomware, Trojan horses, spyware, adware, scareware, etc. Malware is meant to harm or damage the interests of the targeted computer user. The most common way malware is implanted is through email.

According to cyber security experts, junk or spam emails have grown by more than 400% since 2016, costing American businesses more than $500 million each year. Spam often includes a phishing attack, an attempt to gain access to the targeted computer user's sensitive personal information, or to damage or shut down that computer. More than 30% of targeted victims open unrecognized emails, and 2% of those victims go on to click on the harmful links or attachments included, thereby allowing malware access the computer system.

The easiest way to combat malware attacks to your office system is to instruct staff to avoid opening any unrecognized email that seems suspicious. A questionable email might include:

• Misspelled words
• Poor grammar or punctuation
• A request for money or personal information
• A phony but official-looking government sender address
• A misleading familiar domain name (from a reputable company, etc.)

If such an email is opened, DO NOT open attachments or included links. If problems occur, shut down the computer immediately and contact the IT agent for the practice. It often takes an expert to combat or repair the damage done by malware attacks.

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