Triona's Tech Tips

Every holiday we get a spate of viruses, and every holiday I feel compelled to warn you about fake electronic greeting cards. Trust me, virus writers will do just about anything to get you to click on their infectious links, so ignore those pretty Valentines.

In other news, a recent ruse demonstrates how computer security bleeds into everyday life. In Grand Forks, North Dakota, miscreants went so far as to put phony parking tickets on cars. The link that purportedly takes the victim to a police web site is actually infused with malware. This is an example of social engineering, when hackers use real-world tricks to achieve digital domination. Another is the ever-popular leaving of USB flash drives in public places. Most people don’t hesitate to try them on their computers, at which point hidden viruses go to work bypassing firewalls and introducing back doors into networks.

Watch out for these scams, and don’t forget to subscribe to the email version of Tech Tips for the latest computer news.