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Don’t Get Tricked: protecting your PC from being a Zombie

Last year, Microsoft teamed up with the FTC in the “Don’t Get Tricked on Halloween” campaign to crack down on illegal methods used by spammers to distribute unsolicited e-mail. As October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, only fitting that I replay this blast from the past… 



Timed to coincide with National Cyber Security Awareness Month and Halloween on Oct. 31, the “Don’t Get Tricked on Halloween” campaign alerts computer users to the threat of zombie computers and how to protect their personal computers (PCs) from being infected with malicious code. “The only way to slow the spread of zombies and other online threats is by going after them as resolutely and in as many ways as possible,” says Tim Cranton, director of Microsoft’s Internet Safety Enforcement programs.


Stop Zombie PC Attacks in their Tracks: Tips on how Internet users can prevent their computers from becoming zombies:



  • Use a firewall to protect computers from hacking attacks while connected to the Internet. 

  • Keep Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office programs up to date with security updates to shield computers from viruses, worms and other threats.

  • Use up-to-date antivirus software and antispyware software to help protect against the latest threats.

  • Beware of tricks designed to get people to download and install unwanted and sometimes destructive software. This software is sometimes distributed in non-commercial music downloads, file-sharing programs and free games.

  • Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files in e-mails from unknown senders.

The campaign so nice we promoted it twice. Or something like that.


Have a Happy Halloween.


More info:



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“Ride the Magic Bus” — the Xbox 360 bus, that is

Look for the Family Safety bus in a city near you.From the news: “Parents everywhere are concerned with children’s access to inappropriate media content. Microsoft, along with our friends at Best Buy and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, is leading an education campaign to provide parents with tools to help them make the right entertainment choices for their families. These tools can help parents keep their children away from video games that they consider inappropriate and from unwanted online encounters.


“Microsoft recently launched the ‘Safety is no game. Is your family set?’ Xbox Citizenship campaign. This campaign is designed for parents who want to learn more about the Family Settings Feature available in the Xbox 360 console and about other resources to help protect children, like the ESRB’s video game ratings and content descriptors.”


There’s a 20-city bus tour, traveling the States to help families enjoy appropriate games and online content. The big green bus is decked out with Xbox 360 game consoles and the latest laptop PCs. This tour kicked off today, starting at the Hartford Boys & Girls Club at Asylum Hill in Hartford, CT. On Thursday, October 26, the bus will be at the Chelsea Clubhouse at 30 Willow Street in Boston, and then on to Miami on Wednesday, November 8, at the Hank Kline Unit of Miami BGCA (2805 SW 32nd Ave., Miami).


For more and a list of stops on the bus tour, visit the Family Safety Bus Tour page on Xbox.com.


More info from the site:



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Article: there’s “no immunity” from security vulnerabilities

This weekend I blogged that when it comes to security on your computer — whether it’s a Mac or a PC — it pays to be prepared no matter what platform you use. I received feedback in comments and via email on the post. Today I received a link in the mail to the article “No Immunity for Macs,” by Mitchell Ashley on both Linux Insider.com and Mac News World.com, who writes… 



“The fact of the matter is that despite Apple’s work to maintain the image of Macs as secure devices, researchers are concentrating much more heavily on finding underlying security vulnerabilities in Mac software. As a result, we are seeing security patches for Apple software now on a regular basis.”


The point I made this weekend is that no one is immune, and everyone should protect themselves, Mac or PC. IMHO, there is no “safer” computer.  I have both at home and I wouldn’t think of hooking either computer up to the network without adequate protection.


The author of the article also includes his top things to do Mac OS X users should do to secure their computers, which I’ll suggest applies across the board (and some look familiar, having made similar suggestions in past posts):



  1. Don’t be complacent. Don’t be a victim: be prepared.

  2. Apply security updates. With Windows, turn on Microsoft Update and Automatic Updates. With Macs, apply any OS security patches as available.

  3. Use a bi-directional personal firewall.

  4. Practice good WiFi security connections. See my post on What’s so bad about unprotected wireless?

  5. Use AntiVirus (AV) software.

  6. Use good security practices with Windows virtualization.

I noticed that PC Magazine has a Security Suite Smackdown, Part I on their site: “These apps aim to give you an impregnable defense, protecting you from every threat under the connected sun. Antimalware—antivirus, antispam, antispyware, antiphishing—if it’s out there, they’re against it. Add in firewalls, content filtering, parental controls and keylogger detection, and you’ve got a online suit of armor that’s theoretically proof against any and all threats. And the armor has done a reasonably good job, by and large.”


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Mac or PC Security, it doesn’t matter: be prepared

In a comment I received to a recent blog posting on being careful when it comes to viruses, I wanted to mention something when it comes to computer security: whether you have a PC or a Mac, you will have to be concerned about security and protect yourself.


If you own a computer – PC or Mac (and we have both at home) – you should run AV software, have a firewall on your internet connection and practice “safe computing.”


But we have to be careful to reach broad-based conclusions. It’s better to anticipate an attack and be prepared and protected rather than hope that you won’t be the victim of an attack. As I said in a past post, see our Security at home site for more ideas on how to protect your computer. It has info on avoiding online scams with the Microsoft Phishing Filter, anti-virus, anti-spyware, security updates, Office and Windows update tools… well worth your time. Mac users can look here on Apple’s site for more info on protecting your Mac.


As USA Today reported earlier this year…



“Windows-based PCs have felt the brunt of attacks for years because those machines command more than 95% of the worldwide market. Macs mostly have escaped the attention of hackers. Until now.


“Unless they consider themselves very savvy, Mac users should run anti-virus software just like Windows users,” says Larry Seltzer, security center editor at news site eWeek.com. “Mac users need to start developing a sense of cynicism about content that comes unsolicited, even if it appears to come from a user they know.”


Of interest is eWeek’s Larry Seltzer’s article on “What Will Apple Do When the Malware Comes?”


As our COO Kevin Turner says, (paraphrased): don’t be a victim… be a participant in your own rescue.

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Friday humour: the guy the virus writers count on

Flash to a conversation overheard in a checkout line: when one person asks another why they hadn’t responded to an email, the resopnse comes: “there was an attachment in your last email, and I heard that attachments could be bad… so I didn’t open it.”


That reminded me of a past cartoon…



You really do have to be careful these days: I regularly receive emails with small .zip or .jpg attachments that no doubt hold all sorts of nasty goodies. Don’t open attachments unless you really know (and can confirm!) who they came from and what the attachments are.


As Stephen Sinofsky said in this discussion on the impact of “I Love You” virus that infected computers worldwide in 2000…



“Always make sure you have anti-virus software running and that it is up to date. Ensure you have the latest product updates… You should also practice safe computing practices, such as being very careful when opening email attachments.”


More info:



(BTW, the cartoon is by the talented Cam Cardow of The Ottawa Citizen.)


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