-=PCTechTalk=- Articles of interest

Beware of Deceptive Spyware Removal Programs
 Spyware may soon replace spam as the number one complaint of computer users. 
Spyware infects your computer with advertising programs that can slow it down, 
and redirect you to sites other than those you intended. In the latest twist, 
some spyware is now masquerading as free spyware removal programs. [See other 
related spyware stories at Forbes in the box at the left after you 
clickthrough.] Some free, legitimate spyware removal programs include: Spybot 
Search and Destroy, Spyware Blaster, and Ad-Aware SE Personal. 
http://www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome.shtml

Spyware 
Spy Vs. Spy 
Chana R. Schoenberger, 01.17.05, 6:00 AM ET 



NEW YORK - Here's a typical scenario in tech world: Without warning, your 
computer flashes a dialogue box that says your machine has been infected with 
spyware. Click here, it instructs, for antidote software that will fix it. And, 
indeed, the helpful link does offer a program to get rid of the prying 
software--before installing its own spy package on your PC instead. 

Sometimes the cure for spyware is worse than the disease. It's a problem that 
affects at least two-thirds of PCs, often without their owners' knowledge, and 
generates 12% of all support calls to Dell (nasdaq: DELL - news - people ). But 
once you find out your computer is tainted, getting rid of the offending 
software is tough and comes with serious pitfalls.


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http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2005/01/17/focus5.html

But the scammers learned quickly and honed their skills. Today, Fouse said, 
many of the "phish" -- faux e-mails and Web sites created to defraud consumers 
-- are virtually indistinguishable from the real McCoy. 

Faster, smarter and slicker than their forbears, the new breed of Internet 
criminal is sending phish, or "spoofs," e-mails that are often near-perfect 
imitations of e-mails from legitimate businesses, to lure consumers into 
divulging bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, PIN numbers and credit 
information. 

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http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/11/business/11snoop.html?ei=5090&en=567d8bda6d8b4605&ex=1263099600&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&adxnnlx=1106421532-g0X7z4084cG/OGoo4OSvwQ


Your Call (and Rants on Hold) Will Be Monitored

By KEN BELSON 

Published: January 11, 2005




MELVILLE, N.Y. - It is the opening line on so many phone conversations these 
days: This call may be monitored for quality assurance purposes.

The taped message is so common that many callers might assume that no one is 
ever listening, let alone taking notes. But they would be wrong.

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http://scambusters.org/internetscams.html



Internet ScamBusters' Predictions: What are the 10 Biggest
Internet Scams You Need to Watch Out for to Stay Safe in 2005?


10. New job postings threats. It used to be that the big dangers of posting 
your resume online were that your boss would see it, that your resume would get 
ignored, or that it would wind up in places you didn't want.

Not anymore. Although these concerns are still important, identity theft and 
stalking have become much bigger problems for job seekers over the past several 
years. After all, a lot of very personal information is included in resumes



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http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,11965-4033868,00.html



Scam artists posed as banks and other legitimate businesses in thousands of 
phishing attacks last year, sending out millions of "spam" e-mails with subject 
lines like "account update needed" that pointed to fraudulent Web sites. 

These attacks now increasingly use worms and spyware to divert consumers to 
fraudulent sites without their knowledge, experts say. 

"If you think of phishers initially as petty thieves, now they're more like an 
organised crime unit," said Paris Trudeau, senior product manager for 
Internet-security firm SurfControl. 
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http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1752906,00.asp



'Evil Twin' Haunts Wi-Fi Users

 

An IT security expert, an academic and the U.K. government's cybercrime unit 
will give Londoners an introduction to the security dangers of wireless 
networking on Thursday-with the star of the show being an attack method dubbed 
the "Evil Twin." 

The Evil Twin is essentially a wireless version of a phishing scam-users think 
they're connecting to a genuine hot spot but are actually connecting to a 
malicious server, which can then extract information such as bank details. The 
attack can be carried out by anyone with the right equipment in the vicinity of 
a legitimate base station, according to Dr. Phil Nobles, wireless Internet and 
cybercrime expert at the U.K.'s Cranfield University. 

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