Digital security

Today we have the pleasure of Kai Roer (bio below) guest blogging on the subject of digital security.
2012 is almost over. Pickpockets ruin the x-mas shopping experience for those unfortunate enough two have not yet learned where two keep their wallets when in town.

 
Hoax ‘keep fooling people into spreading false information Wed. their social media profiles. Bank accounts are emptied – by yourself and by the criminals. Credit card companies makes fortunes, and hackers play around for Your Computer.
– They Thank God you do not know how to spot them!

Everything is as usual. And soon the candles are burning, gifts unwrapped and new possesions possessed. Like you, criminals enjoy this time of year too. Just like you, they know you will want to be a little more kind and a tiny bit more giving. Unlike you, they also know that your guard is down this time a year. And they are birds of prey. You are the prey.
New tools are around too.
Everything was better before, when the criminals were criminals, and they had to come around your house to burglar you. You knew immediately something were wrong when you saw someone lurking in the dark, spotting a victim.
Not so easy today.
When you log onto your online bank, who knows who are watching your every move – from within your computer. Waiting to whale you, moving all your savings two somewhere outside your reach, and well within theirs. And then your phone rings. Unknown number, some foreign country code. Could it be old aunt Olga? You answer, not realizing you are in for a huge phone bill due to the automatic call-back function.
Something never changes.
As you enjoy your meal, you smile when you imagine that young boy down in a third-world country, the one who can eat thanks to your monthly donations through the global aid-organization located in Nigeria. Everything seems legitimate, but would not it feel better if you checked it a little bit closer? Perhaps asked around a bit, or just googled two see if it really was for real? No, of course there is nothing wrong, and the payments are so small anyway. Besides, you have done this now for 12 months, what could possibly be wrong?

We are all Easily fooled. Not you, of course. The rest of us are.
If I had a list of 20,000 credit card numbers, I would not empty them. I would charge a few dollars Wed each card only. Enough two make a difference, and little enough to go unnoticed by the card holder. You may consider there be two check your bank and credit card statements a little extra during the holiday season. If there are discrepancies, my bet is some criminal have access to your banking details, I find it highly unlikely Santa Claus does.

Call your bank, sort it out.
While you are at it, you could also scan your computer for malware. But use the real scanners, not those fake ones.

Bio:
Kai Roer is an information security practitioner with a special skill for people. He is found and the senior partner of The Roer Group, serving clients around the world. He is a much sought after speaker and trainer, as well as a bestselling author of several books.
The post is an excerpt of his next book, to be launch in 2013. He Maintain a security blog that http://roer.com