You may of heard about the Parliament House computer network being hacked.
According to the Betoota Advocate this was due to “someone forgetting to update the Norton”.
Of course this is satire and nobody is still running Norton Internet Security 2005 (are they?).
It’s an unfortunate fact of life that if you spend any time on the internet you will come across malware. This can take many forms:
- Adware that takes over your browser to show ads.
- Rootkits and Bots that infect your computer to send spam or attack websites.
- Spyware and Keyloggers that record what you do.
- Ransomware that encrypts all your files then demands a ransom. Of course you never get your files back.
- Viruses that infect your computer to steal and corrupt your data.
- Phishing attacks trying to lure you into reveling your passwords and personal data.
There are many antivirus solutions available, often free. Some good resources are:
https://www.cloudwards.net/best-antivirus-software/
Personally I use a combination of Comodo Firewall, Avast Antivirus, and Malwarebytes.
https://personalfirewall.comodo.com/free-download.html
https://www.avast.com/index#pc
https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download/
The most important thing is that you have a current antivirus installed and your software has been updated. Out of date browser and antivirus applications are accidents waiting to happen.
Stay safe out there.