Spammers, Scammers And Hackers Galore

A nationally-recognized cybercrime expert offers information about the latest viruses, worms and hackers.

For more information or to request a review copy, contact:
Lisa Wrigley
lwrigley@infotoday.com
Information Today, Inc.
800-300-9868 or 609-654-6266
To schedule an interview with the cybercrime expert/author, contact:
J.A. Hitchcock
netcrimes@netcrimes.net
815-550-5059

Spammers, Scammers And Hackers Galore

If youve been on the receiving end of spam, you know what a nuisance it can be. But with the proliferation of virus and worm spams such as the recent SoBig and its variants, computer users are at their wits end.

Many people dont have antivirus or firewall software on their computers," claims cybercrime expert, J.A. Hitchcock, author of Net Crimes & Misdemeanors: Outmaneuvering the Spammers, Swindlers, and Stalkers Who Are Targeting You Online. They dont want to spend the extra money or think theyll never have problems because they dont open attachments, or just use the Internet for surfing the Web."

The latest viruses and worms dont necessarily need the recipient to open an attachment, as found with SoBig and its variants. One type automatically infiltrated address books and began sending out spam messages using the e-mail addresses of everyone in the address book. This resulted in people receiving messages with subject lines such as Thank you!", Wicked Screensaver," Your Details" and Approved."

I received an average of 100-200 of these daily until the virus wound down," Hitchcock adds. But since I have antivirus and firewall software on my computer, the viruses were deleted or quarantined before they could do damage to my computer."

Antivirus and firewall software for free can be found, but for those who want something more, major companies such as Norton and McAfee offer free 30-day trial periods so that you can see what their programs can do before you pay for them.

But dont think your computer is totally safe when you install antivirus and firewall software. Even if the programs come with an automatic update feature (which looks for the latest virus definitions and program updates), if there is a new bug on the loose, its wise to conduct a manual update. . .just in case.

Many times, new definitions or updates are available, but a users computer hasnt received them yet because their software is scheduled to check for updates once a week," warns Hitchcock. The minute I hear about a new virus, worm or other bug, I do a quick check for updates, and more often than not, there is at least one."

Hitchcock is available for interviews about viruses, worms, hackers, spams, scams and more, which are all covered in Net Crimes & Misdemeanors: Outmaneuvering the Spammers, Swindlers, and Stalkers Who Are Targeting You Online, published by CyberAge Books (see www.netcrimes.net).