Acer A2/DQ.BBTEK.001 Manuale d'uso - Pagina 46

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46 - Internet and online security

company like Norton or Microsoft and that you have a virus. The main

motive behind these scams is to extort money from the victim.

Cybercriminals can also install malware such as keylogging software

or backdoor Trojans in order to gain access to personal information.

How to stay safe: Don't fall for phone calls that tell you your software

or computer isn't working. Never give your personal information like

social security or credit card numbers to someone that you don't know

over the phone.

Common threats cybercriminals use

Now you know a few very common ways cybercriminals try to sneak

onto your device or trick you into providing private information to them

directly. Here are a few of the types of malware they like to deploy

once they've got into a device and what to do if you're ever infected.

Ransomware

A form of malware that will encrypt personal data files on your

computer and attached devices. Encryption converts files into another

format, that can only be opened with a specific decryption key. Once

the ransomware installs itself, it will display a warning message that

the computer is now locked. The user is given a specific amount of

money to pay as a "fine" and a timeframe in which to pay. Even if

paid, the criminal might choose to not unencrypt the files anyway!

What to do if you're infected: Avoid getting infected in the first place

by staying protected with internet security software like Norton

Security. Also, perform regular backups of all your data either online

or to a separate external hard drive that is only attached to your

computer while performing the backup. Ransomware has been known

to lock access to external hard drives attached to the computer.

If you are infected with ransomware, think twice before you pay the

ransom. There is no guarantee the cybercriminal will unlock your files

and you'll be funding them to prey upon another innocent victim.

Botnets

A botnet is a string of infected, connected computers coordinated

together to perform a task. Botnets gain access to your machine

through some piece of malicious coding. Once the software is

downloaded, the botnet will now contact its master computer and let it

know that everything is ready to go. Now your computer, phone,