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City National eNewsletter

FRAUD PREVENTION June 18 , 2007

Computer Viruses are a leading cause of Identity and Bank Account Theft. Don't Be a Victim.
 
Mark H. Middlebrook
SVP & Manager, eCommerce
City National Bank

New computer viruses spread throughout the internet each day. Computer hackers have come up with many tricks to get their programs loaded onto your computer without your knowledge. One type of common virus is called a Trojan horse. "A Trojan horse is a destructive program that masquerades as a benign application or upgrade. Most Trojans are delivered via emails, online services, and downloads, such as free games, applications, movies, and greeting cards. Many of us don’t realize how vulnerable we are."1

Once installed, the Trojan's author (the hacker) can gain complete control of the infected computer and access passwords, stored information on the computer and email lists.

Do You Have Up-To-Date Anti-Virus Software?

With security companies creating software to combat viruses daily, the importance of maintaining up-to-date anti-virus software is more crucial than ever before.

Computers without current anti-virus software can expect compromised files. Having a good anti-virus software application that is set to update itself automatically is first to reduce the risk of becoming a victim.

Virus Protection Tips

In addition to installing virus protection software, follow these tips to decrease your risk.

  • Do not open files attached to an e-mail from an unknown sender.
  • Be cautious when considering opening file attachments sent by e-mail from someone you do know. Sometimes the file may contain a virus without your friend or colleague even knowing it.
  • Do not open any files attached to an email if the subject line is questionable or unexpected. If you must do so, always save the file to your hard drive before doing so.
  • Do not click on links within an e-mail sent from someone you do not know or trust
  • Delete junk e-mail immediately. Do not forward or reply to any of them as this will spread more risk to your co-workers and friends.
  • Do not download any files from strangers.
  • Exercise caution when downloading files from web sites. Stop and make sure that the file being provided is from a legitimate and reputable company or individual. But even these can introduce a virus to your system. Ensure that your anti-virus program scans the file during the download process. If you're not sure, don't download the file.
  • Set up your anti-virus software to update automatically. Refer to the software’s online web site support center for additional recommendations on proactively managing your anti-virus software.
  • Back up your files regularly. Set up a frequent time, such as weekly, to back up your most critical files onto a CD, DVD or external hard drive.

Free Tool

McAfee SiteAdvisor™, is a free add-on for Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers. This add-on tests, analyzes and rates the web sites you use in detail to assess their safety and if the web sites are using any poor practices such as dangerous downloads, spamming, misuse of personal information and browser hijacking.

This add-on can help you bypass any possible identity theft or fraud traps. "When searching with Google, Yahoo! or MSN, SiteAdvisor's easy-to-understand safety ratings—red (danger), yellow (information) or green (safe)—appear next to search results."2

Check out this free browser add-on at http://us.mcafee.com/root/catalog.asp?catid=free

McAfee is a registered trademark of McAfee Corporate.
Norton is a registered trademark of Symantec Corporation.
Windows and Vista are Registered Trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

1. McAfee Web site, “How to Identify and Eliminate a Trojan Horse on Your PC, http://us.mcafee.com/root/identitytheft.asp?id=prevent_trojan

2. McAfee Web site, http://us.mcafee.com/root/catalog.asp?catid=free

This article is for information and education purposes only and does not constitute a personal recommendation.




Get Anti-Virus Software

If you do not have anti-virus software, we recommend you visit the following two most trusted and recognized software providers:

Do You Need Windows® Vista™?


Get some opinions from the Consumer Reports web site.

Click here to read their review

 

Other Resources
Access our Fraud Prevention web site for more information on how to protect yourself.

Visit the fraud prevention web site.

Copyright © 2007 City National Bank - All rights reserved
400 North Roxbury Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90210

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