With the latest mobile operating system, Android, being targeted recently by virus writers, it feels appropriate to reiterate just how important it is for people, and especially online business owners, always to use legitimate software when operating on the web.
This latest piece of malicious software came tucked in alongside an app which on the surface worked as a regular looking media player. While under the surface the ‘Trojan SMS’ would send premium rate text messages unbeknownst to the hapless innocent user, racking up large bills with the money landing in the virus writers pockets.
This latest situation should stand as a strong reminder to online business owners who rely on the integrity of their site and email systems to maintain their reputation. If for some reason you chose not to use legitimate software, perhaps downloaded from an erroneous third party site, you leave yourself open to be taken advantage of. Plus, with the rapid expansion of social media throughout the internet, the increased use of smartphones, mobile internet and online money transfer services cyber criminals are experiencing a new lease of life and are about to dust off some old school tactics to use in this fresh medium.
In order to thwart cyber criminals, there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself and your business.
Get Some Proper Antivirus Software
The first thing you can do is get yourself some proper anti-virus software. Not some free trail that keeps asking you to upgrade, real antivirus software that will regularly update and check your system. Illegitimate versions of antivirus may even be laced with a virus themselves. Stick to a reliable brand and do your research and especially if customer details will be kept on your machine.
Download From Reliable Sources
The Trojan SMS app was downloaded from somewhere other than the official Android app store, which is available from every Android phone. By choosing to download from a legitimate source you can avoid downloading anything that can harm your smartphone. Even if you do download something from outside the official app store, Android phones always ask your permission to allow an app to have control of certain actions on your phone. Check them out before you agree to install.
Beware Scam Emails
Scam emails always have and always will be a problem. The best advice is to check the legitimacy of the source of the email by researching any sites that send you a link and check with any friends or client in person or on the phone who send you any out of character emails, especially if they are asking for money or personal details.
As a leading payment service provider, Lancore pride themselves on the secure Payment Gateways that they provide for their clients as well as their highly secure internal systems. In this line of work it is imperative to not only know good security but to utilise it effectively.
If you are a business owner, you will likely have aspirations of high sales figures, loyal customers and growing budgets. One way of helping you get your business heading in the right direction, and in this case online business, is to look up to businesses which currently captivate and entice millions of people around the world to invest in, log on to and buy from their websites. By taking a look at the heavy hitters out there you can see what makes them an online success and what advice you can take from their example to help your business improve.
With the launch of new technologies such as the iPhone 4 and the iPad, it’s easy to forget that not so long ago there was a time when the most advanced technology in an office was the telephone: A simpler time when pen and paper, or maybe a typewriter, along with the postal service and a filing cabinet was the basis of all work and communication. A time when salesmen went out and about to do business on the road and when computers were closer to abacuses than today’s superfast nanotech marvels.