South Africans have a higher-than-average risk of having their computers infected and their data compromised by malicious code, like viruses and spyware, than most people in the world.
The global ratio of e-mail-borne viruses in e-mail traffic is around one in every 400 e-mails, whereas in South Africa around one in 110 e-mails carries malware.
The phishing rate in South Africa is also higher than most other countries. In South Africa, one in 114 e-mails contains some kind of phishing attack, compared to the global average rate of one in 508 e-mails (Symantec).
Dries Morris, operations director at Securicom, points to an urgent need for e-mail-users to step-up IT security.
“With such a high number of e-mails containing malware and viruses landing in inboxes each day, all computer users who have access to the Internet and e-mail should have the basics in place to protect their systems and their personal information,” he says.
Morris says that spyware specifically, is a particularly nasty threat that can have serious consequences for computer users.
“While viruses are mainly focussed on causing a nuisance or physically damaging IT infrastructure, spyware is designed to execute far more malicious objectives. Installed on a system unbeknownst to a user, spyware in the form of key-loggers or Trojans, is used to covertly monitor activity on a computer and gather information about the user such as Internet browsing habits, passwords, banking log-on details and e-mail contacts.
“In the hands of a cyber-criminal, this information can be used to violate personal privacy, access confidential business information, and steal financial assets. Because spyware is usually financially motivated and backed by increasing investment from a thriving industry, it is advancing at a rapid rate, becoming progressively more complex to identify and combat.
“Without a robust solution in place to spot and block spyware, there is really no way for a computer user to know whether their system has been compromised, leaving their personal data, Internet habits and passwords wide open for unwanted analysis.”
Spyware is often embedded in “free” Internet downloads, music files and P2P networks. It can also be hyper-linked onto a web page and distributed as part of spam messages. According to a recent Symantec report, 33.5% of e-mail-borne malware contains links to malicious websites housing potentially unwanted programmes such as spyware and adware.
“The ‘DNA’ of viruses and spyware, as well as they way in which they are designed to work, makes them completely different to each other. For instance, spyware is designed to install itself and hide. What this means is that an anti-virus solution will never be a match for spyware. Computer users have to have a layered solution that is capable of detecting and blocking both of these threats, as well as other e-mail-borne threats such as phishing. This goes for everyone, from the office employee to the home computer user,” advises Morris.
Morris stresses that people also need to use common sense, and to use the Internet and e-mail responsibly.
“Don’t download every free software programme that is available, avoid clicking on links in e-mails, and don’t ever respond to e-mails requesting personal or banking details. That’s unless you want to become yet another number in a long list of phishing victims.
“Phishing mails left untouched aren’t a problem and can’t cause any damage. The problem comes in when you act on a phishing e-mail by clicking on a URL link which leads you to an unsafe, spoof site where you are tricked into revealing personal details and other confidential information.
“Rather delete suspicious mails. It’s safer that way.”
The global ratio of e-mail-borne viruses in e-mail traffic is around one in every 400 e-mails, whereas in South Africa around one in 110 e-mails carries malware.
The phishing rate in South Africa is also higher than most other countries. In South Africa, one in 114 e-mails contains some kind of phishing attack, compared to the global average rate of one in 508 e-mails (Symantec).
Dries Morris, operations director at Securicom, points to an urgent need for e-mail-users to step-up IT security.
“With such a high number of e-mails containing malware and viruses landing in inboxes each day, all computer users who have access to the Internet and e-mail should have the basics in place to protect their systems and their personal information,” he says.
Morris says that spyware specifically, is a particularly nasty threat that can have serious consequences for computer users.
“While viruses are mainly focussed on causing a nuisance or physically damaging IT infrastructure, spyware is designed to execute far more malicious objectives. Installed on a system unbeknownst to a user, spyware in the form of key-loggers or Trojans, is used to covertly monitor activity on a computer and gather information about the user such as Internet browsing habits, passwords, banking log-on details and e-mail contacts.
“In the hands of a cyber-criminal, this information can be used to violate personal privacy, access confidential business information, and steal financial assets. Because spyware is usually financially motivated and backed by increasing investment from a thriving industry, it is advancing at a rapid rate, becoming progressively more complex to identify and combat.
“Without a robust solution in place to spot and block spyware, there is really no way for a computer user to know whether their system has been compromised, leaving their personal data, Internet habits and passwords wide open for unwanted analysis.”
Spyware is often embedded in “free” Internet downloads, music files and P2P networks. It can also be hyper-linked onto a web page and distributed as part of spam messages. According to a recent Symantec report, 33.5% of e-mail-borne malware contains links to malicious websites housing potentially unwanted programmes such as spyware and adware.
“The ‘DNA’ of viruses and spyware, as well as they way in which they are designed to work, makes them completely different to each other. For instance, spyware is designed to install itself and hide. What this means is that an anti-virus solution will never be a match for spyware. Computer users have to have a layered solution that is capable of detecting and blocking both of these threats, as well as other e-mail-borne threats such as phishing. This goes for everyone, from the office employee to the home computer user,” advises Morris.
Morris stresses that people also need to use common sense, and to use the Internet and e-mail responsibly.
“Don’t download every free software programme that is available, avoid clicking on links in e-mails, and don’t ever respond to e-mails requesting personal or banking details. That’s unless you want to become yet another number in a long list of phishing victims.
“Phishing mails left untouched aren’t a problem and can’t cause any damage. The problem comes in when you act on a phishing e-mail by clicking on a URL link which leads you to an unsafe, spoof site where you are tricked into revealing personal details and other confidential information.
“Rather delete suspicious mails. It’s safer that way.”