THE PHANTOM MENACE
Keep adware away from your computer
THE WORLD OF MALWARE is constantly evolving—who’d heard of social engineering, ransomware, or cryptomining until recently? In its State of Malware 2020 report, Malwarebytes noted some interesting trends. One was that malware is increasingly focusing on business rather than consumers, as criminals spy bigger opportunities.
That said, don’t ditch all your anti-virus software just y et— con sume r infections were only down two percent on the previous year. Of more significance is the changing landscape. The biggest source of infections is adware—programs that don’t carry malware, but try to trick people into downloading malware or giving up personal details.
The biggest jump in the list is by socalled “hack tools,” which is again often a legitimate type of program that provides hackers with a way into networks (see pages 41-42). The growth in popularity of both adware and hack tools suggests that security software’s ability to spot and detect more traditional forms of malware is pushing cybercriminals to shift their focus toward weaker spots in your defences.
Not all newer threats stay the course: Cryptomining, whereby malware allowed criminals to hijack a computer’s processing power to help them mine for Bitcoin and other digital currency, has fallen in popularity. But even here, new variants continue to emerge alongside existing ones, while traditional forms of infection, from worms to Trojans, spyware to back doors, remain a persistent threat.
STAY SAFE
You may think that now’s a good time to let your security software subscription lapse and revert to free protection. While it’s true that Microsoft Security—built on the back of Windows Defender—is scoring highly in independent malware tests (it’s currently listed as a top product on www. av-test.org with more established rivals), it lacks tools to help protect against wider threats. Paid-for solutions, like Norton ( https://norton.com), Bitdefender ( www.bitdefender.com), and Kaspersky ( www.kaspersky.com) offer a more comprehensive set of tools to protect against a wider range of threats.
A big hole in Windows’s security is its built-in firewall. Windows Firewall can provide comprehensive protection, but by default it only monitors inbound traffic from other networked devices and the internet to your computer. Connections originating from your PC, such as installed software (including software you may have been tricked into installing)—are ignored.
The solution is to install a dedicated firewall with two-way protection—a feature in all paid-for products and the free standalone Comodo Firewall ( https:// personalfirewall.comodo.com/)— or add two-way protection to Windows Firewall.
of online life. Now is the time to tighten the security of your online footprint by using a password manager (we recommend Bitwarden— www.bitwarden.com) and two-factor authentication (manage codes with Authy— https://authy.com) to lock down your online accounts. Take the time to generate new, lengthy (14 characters should be sufficient) and random passwords for your core online accounts, and switch on 2FA where possible.
Also consider a VPN, particularly when connecting through unsecure wireless networks. This scrambles your connection so that data transmitted can’t be intercepted. Try Windscribe ( https:// windscribe.com), which has a generous free package offering 10GB per month.
Finally, help ensure all your software stays updated with Patch My PC ( https:// overviewWe’repatchmypc.com/home-updater- huge fans of a multi-layered approach to online accounts – strong passwords and 2FA. ).
By installing Windows Firewall Control ( www.binisoft.org/wfc) you can create rules for outgoing traffic to prevent apps and processes from accessing the internet.
WFC is set to allow all outbound traffic by default—to filter it, launch the program, switch to the “Profiles” section and select “Medium filtering (recommended)”. Check the failsafe “Automatically set” box. Switch to “Notifications” and select “Learning mode” to switch monitoring on. All digitally signed and trusted apps will be given network access automatically, but you’ll start to see pop-up notifications for other apps. If they’re trusted, click “Allow this program;” if you’re not sure, select “Block for now and ask me later.”
GO FURTHER
It’s not just malware you need to be concerned about, but all aspects