The advent of technology, especially the World Wide Web, has made our lives easier. But that has also made transferring viruses, data hacking and phishing easier for some malicious persons online. These attacks on the vital information and communication systems lead to lost money, time, products, reputation, sensitive information and even lives.

You open your e-mail and out pops a message saying you’ve just received an “I love you” from a dear friend. You open the message, and then all hell breaks loose – your PC breaks down and you’re unable to retrieve all files.

Or you receive a letter from your credit card company saying that you should pay this certain amount. You scan the billings and you realize that you didn’t even make the purchases they’re billing you. You investigate further and the bank says this ISP is making the purchases. But that is not my ISP! you say.

Such are some examples of those who were victimized by malware (software designed to infiltrate or damage, often with disastrous results, a computer system without the owner's consent) such as viruses, Trojans, worms, spyware, data hacking and phishing (criminally or fraudulently acquiring sensitive information) on online systems. The perpetrators took advantage of the holes in the security of the Internet or private network.

The most famous malware arguably is the “I Love You” virus, which, incidentally, was a product of Filipino hackers. In just one day, the virus had spread around the world, causing $5.5 billion in damages and infecting 10 percent of the computers connected to the Internet.

Philippines in World’s Top Ten

According to a 2008 report by Symantec, an online security firm, the Philippines now rank among the top ten in Asia for malicious activity. The growing availability of broadband Internet connectivity will expose consumers to more threats, it added.

More vulnerable to attacks are social networking sites (such as Friendster) and thumb drives, which is used more often by Filipino Internet users. Hackers are often after the user’s personal information, to be used later for malicious purposes such as illegal online transactions, Symantec said.

What Can Be Done

“We believe that the best way to avoid security risks is by being knowledgeable about these threats and utilizing the appropriate technology,” said Chay Saputil, Microsoft product manager for Windows Vista. She added that Microsoft has a program called the Genuine Software Initiative, which informs users and companies about the data security and threats caused by counterfeit software.

Users could protect themselves from malicious activity by monitoring network-connected computers for malicious activity; employing anti-virus softwares and firewalls and opening email that comes from trusted and known sources, Symantec concluded.

Saputil said that parents could monitor and filter inappropriate content on the family PC, especially if they don’t want the children accessing websites such as adult sites. The Family Safety and User Accounts feature of their latest operating system, Windows Vista, which provides parents with the information that they need to guide and protect their kids as they use the computer. “Through this feature, parents can configure usage controls to filter inappropriate content and prevent downloading from unreliable sources, which make computers vulnerable to malicious software,” Saputil said.

One can also download Windows Defender, a free program that helps protect PCs against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software. It features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected and minimizes interruptions and helps you stay productive.

Online security will be one of the topics that will be discussed in the 12th ICT Professionals’ Congress on May 14-15, 2008, to be held at the Hotel Intercontinental Manila, Makati City. Being organized by the Philippine Computer Society (PCS), the event is sponsored by JobsDB.com, Microsoft, Globe, Oracle, IBM, Morph Labs, Inc., and e-PLDT.

Founded in 1967, PCS is the premiere organization of 700 ICT practitioners in the country. According to its president, Peter Que, “The ICT Congress is being held annually as one of our ways of fulfilling our organization’s mission to continuously promote, protect and enhance the members of the ICT profession. Through the congress, we also aim to share to the general public updates on technology and the industry.”

For more information, please visit www.pcs-it.org or call 840-0985 to 86 or e-mail secretariat@pcs-it.org.