By Shannon McCarty-Caplan

“Can you hear that?” my mother shouts arm’s length distance from the phone.

“What am I listening for?” I reply.

“A buzzing and whooshing sound, coming from my computer,” she yells again.

This is just an example of the tech support request calls I get regularly from my cute little mama. She only calls about once a month or less for her gadget questions, but I can’t say how many times she’s calling her wireless Internet provider.

According to a recent survey we conducted at Trend Micro to commemorate Mother’s Day, about a quarter of you are in the same boat as me, getting these calls about once a month (the survey dives into perceptions of moms’ technology and device knowledge). My heart goes out to the eight percent of you who said their tech-challenged moms contact them once a day (Mother’s Day Gift Idea: Premium Tech Support Package from Trend Micro and read Michael Miley’s blog). Yikes.

About how often does your mom contact you for IT advice?

Tech support calls aside, my mom is definitely more tech savvy than most, considering one third of you say teaching mom how to use devices is like watching the movie “Clueless.” For my mom, she’s more like the movie, “Easy A” (17% of moms). She’s able to stay connected to her work and personal life using two PC computers (one laptop, one desktop), one netbook, and an iPhone. My mom is active on Facebook, checks-in on FourSquare, and is a frequent mobile SMS texter. She even uses the Roku box I set up for her to watch streaming TV and movies!

Teaching your mom to use her latest device or gadget is like what movie?

Similarly to the moms reviewed in our survey where more than half have been hit by a virus, my mom has fallen prey to online threats like spam (she was recently clickjacked, which happens to the best of us).

We love our moms, and we want to make their lives easier with technology, so we keep buying them new gadgets (see graph below). For a majority of us, that gift includes free tech support for life, 24/7/365.

If you were to buy your mom an electronic device for Mother’s Day what would it most likely be?

Maybe we’re gluttons for punishment, or maybe we just want to be there for mom, like she’s always been there for us. I love you, Mom!
Happy Mother’s Day!

Connie McCarty with her daughter Shannon McCarty-Caplan

For some great tips and activities to help moms and all members of the family improve and safeguard their digital lifestyles, please visit http://www.trendmicrofamilysecurity.com/.

You can read the full survey here. 1,037 respondents completed the online poll, and the sample is representative of the US Census on age, gender and region. The survey, conducted by Cint USA, was sponsored by Trend Micro on April 23-25, 2013.

I work for Trend Micro and the opinions expressed here are my own.

For more tips and advice regarding Internet, mobile security and more, just “Like” Trend Micro Fearless Web Internet Security on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fearlessweb.

By Michael Miley

Any day can be Mother’s Day—especially when mom needs help with her computer! The phone will ring and her frustrated voice will be on the line with one or more complaints. Here’s a typical list:

“I can’t get my email.”

“I’m getting an error message when I try to print.”

“How do I create new folders in my email or on my desktop?”

“My browser is acting funny whenever I try to browse the web. Can you fix it?”

“Everything seems really slow. Can you speed up my computer?

“I think I might have a virus. I’m getting a weird popup message saying something about a firewall violation. What should I do?”

Rather than rush across town to fix these or other problems in the midst of my workday (or in the evening when I’m trying to relax), I’ve installed software called LogMeIn on her computer, so I can access and manage it remotely.

Once connected, I can do pretty much anything I need to do to help her out: update Windows; install a new printer driver; fix her email; create and organize folders; run System Mechanic for maintenance; even launch Titanium to scan her computer to check for and eliminate viruses, malware, or spyware.

How to Remotely Access Mom’s Computer

The first step requires a live visit to mom’s computer to install the LogMeIn software on the system. Once you’re there, type www.logmein.com into her browser and hit Enter. The Logmein website appears:

Figure 1. www.logmein.com

Click Try it Free, follow the various windows and prompts to create an account, register with LogMeIn, and install the 30-day trial of LogMeIn Pro software on her computer. Then provide access to it with a name and password (or a LogMeIn computer access code).

After 30 days, if you don’t purchase LogMeIn Pro, it will revert to LogMeIn Free. Don’t worry! Though you’ll lose the advanced features, you’ll retain basic remote access and control of your mom’s computer for as long as you maintain your LogMeIn account.

After you’ve installed the LogMeIn software, leave mom’s computer on, then test out your setup by accessing it from another computer in the house—or simply wait until you get home. The first time you log in to your account to begin a remote session, LogMeIn will install a plug-in for your browser (e.g., an ActiveX plug-in if you’re using Internet Explorer).

Once that’s completed, you’ll see the remote access screen. In my account, I’ve installed LogMeIn on two computers, so both are visible in the remote access screen:

Figure 2. LogMeIn Computer Access Screen

Click the item in the list that represents your mom’s computer, and when the prompt appears, enter the name and password (or the computer access code you created) to log in.

When the remote desktop appears, the command menu on the left-hand side will show all the features of LogMeIn Pro during your 30-day trial:

Figure 3. LogMeIn Pro

After the 30 days, you’ll see the simplified LogMeIn Free menu:

Figure 4. LogMeIn Free

Once you’re in, you can pretty much do anything you need to do to fix or manage your mom’s computer, including rebooting it if you’ve installed new software that requires it. Simply wait a minute or so while the computer reboots, then click Refresh and you can log back in.

Once I’m in, I use System Mechanic, from iolo technologies LLC, to do maintenance on her computer.

Figure 5. Running a System Mechanic Scan

Or I use Trend Micro™  Titanium™  Maximum Security 2013 to check it for malware, viruses, and spyware.

Figure 6. Running a Titanium Quick Scan

With LogMeIn, you get full remote access to everything on her computer, as if you were sitting right there in her office. When you’re done being the helpful son or daughter, simply click Disconnect from her computer in the LogMeIn command bar, then pull down the LogMeIn login menu in the upper right corner to log out and end the remote control session.

Figure 7. Log Out of LogMeIn

“Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! I think that fixed the problem! And the next time I visit, instead of spending an hour doing maintenance on your computer, we can have a nice cup of tea!”

I manage Trend Micro’s Technical Product Marketing team for Consumers and the opinions expressed here are my own.

For more tips and advice regarding Internet, mobile security and more, just “Like” Trend Micro Fearless Web Internet Security on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fearlessweb.

By Richard Medugno

Over the past few months, I have written Fearless Web blogs about the growing problem of stolen and lost smartphones and mobile devices. It was my hope that by shedding some light on these often avoidable incidents that this nonsense would cease.

And yet it hasn’t. In fact, it seems to have gotten worse. It’s like the whole world is not reading my blogs nor taking my advice. Obviously, this annoys me greatly.

If you read today’s New York Times front page story titled Cellphone Thefts Grow, but the Industry Looks the Other Way, you would learn that the “new nationwide database for stolen cellphones, which tracks a phone’s unique identifying number to prevent it from being activated, theoretically discouraging thefts…has not helped stanch the ever-rising numbers of phone thefts, in part because many stolen phones end up overseas, out of the database’s reach, and in part because the identifiers are easily modified.”

Grrrrrr.  And, surprise, surprise, this article suggests that the mobile phone industry isn’t all that concerned nor interested in adding more security features because, if you have to buy a new phone after one is lost or stolen, well, that’s more money in their pockets.

There was more bad news in yesterday’s CNET piece titled Smartphone safety lagging, referencing the annual “State of the Net” offering from Consumer Reports:

• Many users don’t secure their phones. Almost 40 percent don’t take even minimal security measures.
• Malicious software is a real threat. Last year, 5.6 million Americans experienced such problems as sending unauthorized text messages and having accounts accessed without permission.

I fantasy about mobile devices having the ability to self-destruct after say a minute or two in the hands of someone other than the owner…but, clearly, there could be liability issues that would probably outweigh the benefit. Until someone comes up with better ideas, it probably best to employ the suggestions outlined in the Consumer Reports article Keep your phone safe – How to protect yourself from wireless threats. And, oh, yeah, consider some of Trend Micro mobile security solutions.

Ultimately, I think the best prevention against having your smartphone stolen remains common sense. Don’t use your mobile device just anywhere and everywhere. Go some place safe whenever you use it. Then keep track of it like it’s a two-year-old, never letting out of your hand or sight. Password protect it, too (I’m talking to you 40 percenters who don’t even use minimal security measures). After all, it is your digital life…

But, please don’t do this if your cell phone should falls on to train tracks: “Your cell phone or your life? One girl in Brazil almost lost both…”

I work for Trend Micro and the opinions expressed here are my own.

For more tips and advice regarding Internet, mobile security and more, just “Like” Trend Micro Fearless Web Internet Security on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fearlessweb.

By Jamie Haggett

I’m sure you’ve watched the news in the last few months and have seen a ton of high profile hacks on Twitter, including big brands such as Jeep, Burger King, and most recently the Associated Press (AP). I think the average person outside of the computer world is left wondering a few things:

• How and why are these accounts being hacked? I would assume these organizations would have nice long, complex passwords to protect their accounts, wouldn’t you?
• If they can’t keep themselves safe, how am I expected to?
• What is this two-factor authentication thing I keep hearing about and will it keep me safe?

Reasons why Twitter accounts are routinely hacked

There are many reasons why Twitter accounts are routinely hacked. It could be something as simple as someone wanting to spread misinformation for amusement, or it could be something as nefarious as a smear campaign on a particular individual or company. This can be not only damaging to the organization or individual, but, in some cases like the AP account compromise, it actually sends the US stock market into a temporary tail spin. As you can imagine, a temporary dip in the stock market is a huge opportunity for profit.

Twitter hacks highlight a much bigger problem around password security. You could have the longest, most complicated password ever, but if you click on a malicious URL or a web address crafted to mislead you into thinking you are logging into Twitter and then you enter your password, you’ve essentially bypassed  any security that you had around your password – just by simply giving your password to a bad guy.

Common social engineering tactic

This is an incredibly common social engineering tactic used today on Twitter. By sending you a “Direct Message” from an account that may already be compromised by someone you are following, a cybercriminal can hack your account. The message can mask itself by something as simple as: “Hey, I saw this hilarious picture of you!” Then it will have link to a malicious website. This tactic was widely successful with email viruses back in the day and continues to be successful on social media today.

Another common way to capture your password is to compromise a website or service that doesn’t have the same security controls as Twitter. If you have the same password across multiple services, this will quickly be exploited by automated software designed to quickly try the stolen username/password combinations across multiple websites and social media services.

So how can we protect ourselves against this? 

There are multiple ways we can help prevent our social media accounts from being compromised. A simple first step to take is to use a different password on every service you use. You’re probably thinking, “Awesome, but, there is no way I can remember all of these passwords. It’s not realistic!” And I totally agree with you. There is a beautiful technology that solves this problem called a password manager. I am going to a bit biased here – Trend Micro offers a great consumer product called DirectPass to manage your passwords across devices. It is inexpensive and designed to manage your passwords so that you don’t have to.

There are multiple high-quality password managers that are on the market today that are both easy to use and understand, and are very affordable. Investing in one is the probably the second best security investment you can make on your computer outside of a well known, trusted Internet security product.

Two-factor authentication

The other solution big social media outlets are rolling out right now is something called two-factor authentication. While the security nerds out there are well versed in this technology, the average computer user has likely heard of it, but has no clue how it works or how to set it up. I’m going to attempt to clear the muddy waters here…

Two-factor authentication (also known as multi-factor authentication) is a method in which you need to provide two or more known things to log into a service. The most common implementation we see of this today is where you would have to provide both your password and perhaps answer a question or two that should only be known to you, such as, your first grade teacher’s name.

While this seems great in theory, any half decent social engineer could learn this information about you and circumvent it. Another implementation of two-factor authentication and, in my opinion the easiest, is using something you have on you at all times to send you a unique number. A good example of something most of us have on us at all times these days is a trusty mobile phone!

It works like this…

When you log into your account, you would type your username and password, but a second password would then be sent to you via a text message that you would have to enter as well. This is uniquely generated each time you log in from a new browser, device, or PC. Unless you have both your password and this unique #, you will not be able to log in. The beauty is that even if your password is stolen, the bad guys still can’t log in unless they have your mobile phone!

This is a security technology that Google and Facebook have both rolled out that I highly recommend you setup. Following quite a few high profile hacks on Twitter, they have also announced that they will be rolling out two-factor authentication very soon.

Final advice

Be skeptical online. If it seems too good to be true, it likely is. If you get a direct message from someone that is vague and unexpected, put on your skeptic hat and maybe give the person a call to see if they actually sent you a bizarre link pointing to a photo of you.

Keep safe out there.

I work for Trend Micro and the opinions expressed here are my own.

For more tips and advice regarding Internet, mobile security and more, just “Like” Trend Micro Fearless Web Internet Security on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fearlessweb

(Click on twice to enlarge.)

When traveling you need to raise your personal cyber threat alert on your digital life to stage orange or even red, because the places you’re going to visit are probably not as safe as your comfy home or secure office.

Below are a few Do’s and Don’ts for travelers who want to remain safe online no matter where they go in the world.

For more tips and advice regarding Internet, mobile security and more, just “Like” Trend Micro Fearless Web Internet Security on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fearlessweb

Trend Micro threat researchers believe that within three years, Africa will be a much bigger source of cybercrime. Here’s why:

Increased Bandwidth Availability at Lower Cost

All United Nations’ (UN) member countries have agreed to reach eight Millennium Development Goals by 2015. One of these goals is: “In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communication.” Meeting this goal helps Africa catch up with the rest of the world. With new information and communication technology (ICT), Africa’s huge potential user base is turning it into a major player.

Various private companies from around the world worked together to fund and implement six infrastructure projects in Africa. In 2007, the first undersea fiber-optic cable was installed, connecting its eastern and southern parts to the rest of the world. Today, cable infrastructure reaches almost the whole continent. With 11 cable projects still underway, local ISPs and phone service providers have been expanding their range of offerings, providing cheaper and faster access to customers.

With bandwidth on the increase, costs for both operators and end users are likely to decrease further, providing benefits to institutions and companies, but also to attackers and cybercriminals.

Internet penetration: the darker the color, the higher the Internet penetration.

Fast Growing Internet User Base

The exponential growth of Africa’s user base will further force bandwidth costs down. Its population reached 1 billion in 2009, and was expected to reach 1,073,380,925 by June 2012, an increase of 73 million in 3 years’ time.

In keeping with this population growth, mobile web surfing has become mainstream on the continent. Internet use, particularly for social networking, is a viral phenomenon. From March 2011 to March 2012, the number of Facebook users increased from 27 to 40 million. If this growth rate continued, Facebook users in Africa have already exceeded 50 million. In any case, these numbers show that Africa’s Internet user base will continue to rapidly increase.

The Lack of Cybercrime Laws

Lots of bandwidth, lots of users, but only 5 of Africa’s 57 countries have cybercrime laws. And those laws may be outdated or inadequate for the current threats that abound in the security landscape. It’s a situation that makes it easy for cybercriminals and attackers to launch malicious activities without fear of being prosecuted.

Cybercrime in Africa is not well-documented, but one example is of an Algerian hacking attack that defaced several Romanian websites, including Google and PayPal.

According to the Security Affairs blog, in 2011, Africa counted 18,607 cyber security incidents, up from 564 in 2000. In the first quarter of 2012, 8,903 cyber security incidents were reported and of those, 4,501 were related to fraud that included 2,304 phishing attacks targeting African banks.

As expected, the most connected African countries, and those with the biggest user bases, are also those with the most malware: Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa. Of these, only South Africa has a cybercrime law in place, though Kenya is in the process of creating one.

So given the situation, we think it is safe to say that the number of cybercrime activities targeting or originating from Africa will increase—and probably dramatically—in the next few years. Clearly, as the world becomes more digital, so does the need to stay diligent with IT security.

To learn more about this topic, read the Trend Micro report Africa: A New Safe Harbor for Cybercriminals?

For more tips and advice regarding Internet, mobile security and more, just “Like” Trend Micro Fearless Web Internet Security on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fearlessweb

By Richard Medugno

More than a quarter of Americans would rather go to the dentist, sit in a massive traffic jam or wait in an emergency room than prepare their taxes according to a recent poll conducted by Cint USA and sponsored by Trend Micro, a leading security software company.

Well, really no big surprise there, however, when over a thousand respondents – representative of the US Census on age, gender, and region – were asked their opinions regarding the filing of taxes online and we did received some interesting results:

• 62% have or will file their taxes online
• 73%  feel safe filing taxes online
• 67% have some concern about identity theft or losing private financial data when filing online, with more than two in ten stating they are very concerned.
• On the other hand, 59% feel it safer to file online rather than mailing in hard copies of the forms (41%)
• 15% have been notified in the last year that one of their online accounts has been breached

On the lighter side, when given the choice of four celebrities that they would trust most to do their taxes, 44% of Americans would choose Warren Buffet over Donald Trump (35%), Ben Bernanke (11%), and Martha Stewart (10%).

When asked about how they would most likely spend a tax refund, 52% stated that they would pay off debt while 12% would invest it. 7% would use the money to finance a vacation while 6% said use it for a new car.

The respondents were given five movies to choose from and asked to identify which is most similar to filing taxes:

• 28%  Gone with the Wind
• 25%  Mission: Impossible
• 19%  Indiana Jones In the Last Crusade
• 17%  Les Miserables
• 11%  Liar, Liar

I work for Trend Micro and the opinions expressed here are my own.

For more tips and advice regarding Internet, mobile security and more, just “Like” Trend Micro Fearless Web Internet Security on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fearlessweb

By Richard Medugno

As the deadline for filing your income tax paperwork quickly approaches, you may be tempted to cut corners or rush to get them done. I suggest not throwing caution to the wind in your filing methods, as you may end up paying much more for it in the long run.

Here are some Do’s and Don’ts Tips to help you safely file your taxes without falling victim to cybercriminals and identity theft:

• DO: Get good references – If you’re hiring someone to do your taxes, make sure the person is honest and capable. If you are hiring a new tax preparer, do the leg work to confirm they’re good at it. Get references from other clients and do research online with a Google search on the individual’s name and/or their business’s name. Go through the search results carefully and heed any red flags.
• DO: Make sure you have a secure connection before e-filing - If you’re filing the new fangled way via tax software or the IRS’s website, don’t use public wireless connection. Use a secure, password-protected Internet connection.
• DO: Direct deposit your refund – If you’re getting a refund, have it electronically deposited into your bank account. This saves time and removes the chances of your refund check being lost or stolen. All you have to do is add your account numbers and the bank routing numbers at the end of your tax form.
• DO: M-I-Y – As in, “mail it yourself.” If you’re filing in the old-fashioned way – on paper forms – don’t give the envelope with your paperwork to someone else to mail for you. They may not be as attentive with your highly confidential documents as you would be. And, of course, you’ll have that little peace of mind when you see the envelope disappear down the chute at the post office or drop into the mailbox.
• DO: Destroy all draft copies – Any paperwork that contains your personal data (that you don’t need to keep) should be shredded before being thrown in the recycling bin. In this age of massive identity theft, every home should have a good-quality shredder.
• DON’T: Fall for phishing attacks -The IRS will not contact you via email requesting information. If they require more information from you, they’ll mail you a letter via regular post. If you receive a fake IRS email or one that you think is fake, forward it to: phishing@irs.gov.
  
• DON’T: Delay if you suspect you’ve become a victim of identity theft - If you think someone has used your Social Security number to file a false tax return, complete IRS Form 14039 immediately. You will also want to notify the three credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax or TransUnion) and your bank to protect yourself from further risk to your credit and financial accounts.

I work for Trend Micro and the opinions expressed here are my own.

For more tips and advice regarding Internet, mobile security and more, just “Like” Trend Micro Fearless Web Internet Security on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fearlessweb

By Vic Hargrave

The healthcare industry has certainly felt the affects of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend. More often than not doctors, nurses, and other clinical support staff carry mobile smartphones and tablets.

According to the article The Usage of Tablets in the Healthcare Industry, doctors and nurses were some of the early adopters of smartphone technology and are the largest group of users in the healthcare industry today.  The Healthcare Daily stated, “81% of physicians use mobile tools to collect, store, or transmit patient information.”

Mobile technologies, in particular tablets, have been a boon to healthcare making it easier to review, update, and exchange patient information. Use of personal smartphones and tablets in hospitals and clinics also carries with it the risks of BYOD, namely the potential for bringing malware into the enterprise network and sending proprietary data out to parties who shouldn’t get it.

But whereas BYOD security issues are problems for enterprise companies, in the healthcare industry it is the patients – in other words the customers – whom are affected the most by BYOD, if their private health information is exposed or lost.

But wait, there’s more!