Is Your Bank Really a Closet Drama Queen Top Five Questions to Ask...

North Carolina-based Secure Designs, Inc., one of the premier providers of managed security services to small businesses, wants online surfers and shoppers to keep their assets safe this holiday season by following a few simple guidelines.

Cybercrime worldwide now rakes in more profit than physical drug smuggling. According to a recent study by McAfee, web surfers in 2008 are 41% more likely than in 2007 to visit a malware infected site. At the heart of online fraud is spam, which begins the process of parting unsuspecting or careless users from their money or resources by tricking them out of information or taking over their computers. Tactics include links to false URLs, infected web sites, confidence tricks, social engineering and phishing - all of which start with an email approach.

Spam volumes have maintained their relentlessly upward movement over time, said Larry Cecchini, VP of Marketing and Chief Operating Officer at Secure Designs. This is an indication of how important it is as a mechanism for the cyber underworld, and how vital it is for every one of us to stay alert. But as long as consumers think before they click, staying protected is easy.

Secure Designs suggests that consumers keep these five questions in mind this holiday season to help them protect their personal assets.

1. Is your bank really a closet drama queen Don'st trust urgent requests for personal data.

* Be suspicious of any email with urgent requests for personal financial information. The more dramatic the request, the less likely it is to be valid. Scammers typically include upsetting or exciting statements in their emails (Your account will be frozen unless 's8230;) to get you to react immediately.

* If you don'st use the financial institution that'ss asking for data, why are they contacting you

* Fraudsters often ask for information such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, social security numbers. Their emails are typically NOT personalized, while valid messages from your bank or e-commerce company generally are.

2. Is it safe to click the links in an email to get to a web page

* If you suspect the message might not be authentic, the answer is always 'sno's. Instead, call the company on the telephone, or log onto the website directly by typing in the Web address in your browser

* Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask for personal financial information

3. Are the kids using your laptop to surf the Net

* Because you know they aren'st worried about spam, infected sites or fake URLs. Quick - install a desktop security program on your laptop or home computer to help identify tracking cookies, viruses or unexplained activities that could mean you'sve been unwittingly recruited as part of a botnet.

4. Buying something from an online story you haven'st used before Are you using a secure website when submitting credit card or other sensitive information via your Web browser

* To make sure you'sre on a secure Web server, check the beginning of the Web address in your browsers address bar - it should be https:// rather than just http:// . Look for other proof of authenticity, such as a Verisign, BizRate or BBB certification.

5. Do I have updated spam and anti-virus protection If not, is that why my computer is so slow

* If the answer to the first part of this question is 'sno's, then the answer to the second part is probably 'syes's. No amount of email or online caution will protect you if you don'st use some form of spam filtering and - at the very least - a desktop anti-virus security program for your computer.

* If you'sre running a business from home you need business-class security. Invest in an affordable secure router, which will keep 99.9% of viruses, Trojans, spyware and spam out of your life and that of your clients and business colleagues.

During its five-year evolution as an MSSP, SDI (www.securedesigns.com) has developed many proprietary technologies to remain the managed security services leader. From its base in Greensboro, NC the company manages thousands of firewalls for companies in 24 US states and five countries internationally, and continually introduces new technologies to enhance its offerings.

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