Spyware, viruses, & security : Security vendors warn of Christmas e-crime spike

Security vendors warn of Christmas e-crime spike

by Marianna Schmudlach  - 12/1/08 6:51 PM

Festive season likely to prove a fertile hunting ground for internet criminals once again

Written by Phil Muncaster

vnunet.com, 01 Dec 2008


The IT security vendor community came out in force today to warn consumers and corporate web surfers that internet criminals are likely to double their efforts over the Christmas season to infect machines and steal sensitive data.

Content security firm Websense released a five-point plan to help users avoid scams, which includes taking steps to ensure all systems are protected with the most recent patches available.

AdvertisementUser should also be wary of e-cards which could include links to malicious sites, as well as special offers, which could also be used to tempt users into disclosing their credit card details, said the firm.

Attachments and video content are also likely to be exploited this festive period as a way of infecting machines with malware by stealth, said Websense.

More: http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2231696/security-vendors-warn-christmas