|
New Page 1
|
 |
Post 9-11-01: BEN'S TIPS TO GETTING YOUR WORST-CASE SCENARIO GAME PLAN INTO IMMEDIATE ACTION
|
Let September 11, 2001 be thecatalyst to get your act together; here's an excerpt fromtoday's "Ask Ben" column in The Dallas Morning News:
Dose of Dover For The Week: The recent calamity that swept through New York City and Washington D.C. reminds me that most of us aren't prepared to handle a worst possible case scenario that could envelope any of us at any moment. How prepared are you? Do you have an EMERGENCY CONTACT information card in your wallet or purse? That's what I thought. This card should have current contact information that any stranger attempting to assist you in a time of need could utilize to deliver you to familiar (and supportive) hands. I know you don't want to give up all of your personal information in case one of the bad guys picks your pocket or steals your purse, but useful Next-of-Kin/Best Friend information for the best three relatives and/or friends to contact in a time of need simply makes good sense. Include your full name, current address and home/work telephone numbers, blood type and any allergies or special medical insights that would help a medical technician care for you under emergency circumstances. Your new information card should also contain critical contact data for your Next-of-Kin/Best Friends: Their current home and work phone numbers, their current pager or cell phone numbers, their current home, work and even e-mail addresses. Bottom line? Prepare this information as if you were unable to verbally communicate with hospital or law enforcement personnel. (And don't lose your wallet or purse!) As always, prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
Ben's 5 Tips To Getting Your ID Act Updated
- UPDATE YOUR PERSONAL ID INFORMATION
that you carry in your purse/wallet/briefcase...and give a copy in a sealed envelope to your supervisor at your place of employment. On the outside of the envelope write:
– JOHN DOE Contacts Information –
To Be Opened Only In Case of Emergency
(Make sure your employer has a "safe" place to keep this personal information; check with your Human Resources supervisor for specific company
guidelines, if already addressed or in force.)
- GIVE THREE EMERGENCY CONTACTS
in descending order [and their relationship to you]
- INCLUDE THEIR CURRENT CONTACT NUMBERS,
including their home-work-cell phone and pager numbers
- INCLUDE YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER NAME/CONTACT NUMBERS
separately. Since a disaster could strike you/your spouse at the same time, you need to develop your "Top Three Contacts" in addition to that special someone in your life.
- LIST ANY SPECIAL MEDICAL CONDITIONS/MEDICATIONS
that an emergency medical technician should know about. Those MedicAlert bracelets have been around for years, but only a small fraction of consumers with medical conditions wear them anymore.
DON'T TURN YOUR AFFAIRS
INTO A BURIED TREASURE HUNT
AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME!
I've mentioned this software package before, but it's worth mentioning again. Marty Kuritz' The Beneficiary Book is simple to use, comes in either traditional book form or on diskette, and really does a great job organizing your personal affairs for your family or Executor to follow in the worst case scenario. Available on-line at: www.active-insights.com or by calling: (800) 222-9125.
$CAM ARTIST ALERT!!!
Ben's Tips To Avoid Getting Taken Advantage of By Bogus 9-11-01 Charities
Tragedy brings out the best in us as a society, but also signals opening day for the con artists amongst us.Here's some common-sense advice that will hopefully keep the bad guys from profiting from this horrific event:
- NEVER GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION TO A STRANGE VOICE OVER THE PHONE!
Legitimate charities DO NOT solicit by phone. Do not give up key info to a strange voice calling you, info like Social Security Numbers, Credit Card Numbers or Bank Account Numbers.
DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING SOMEONE MIGHT TELL YOU ON THE PHONE: Such as "your neighbor, Jane Doe, told me to give you a call. She's already made a very generous donation and she knew you'd be interested in kicking some cash in, too!" Don't fall for it: Many times these crooks use "Criss-Cross" also known as "City Directories" to figure out who your neighbors are and cook up these elaborate stories to dupe you. Don't fall for it.
DO NOT FALL FOR THESE BOGUS E-MAIL PLEAS FOR DONATIONS: They're running rampant all over the Internet. Don't fall for it. Some are even using a variation of the Nigerian "I need your help recovering millions of dollars and will give you a third if you let me send the money to your bank account" scam. I know you were born at night...but it wasn't last night, was it? Don't fall for this scam!!!
DO NOT GET SUCKERED IN BY A DOOR-TO-DOOR SOLICITATION FOR DONATIONS: Legitimate organizations DO NOT raise cash through these methods. Many times the door-to-door cons are operated by "tag teams" designed to get inside your house and steal from you. I don't care how good their credentials/identification looks, don't fall for it!
DONATE TO LEGITIMATE CHARITIES: Of course the American Red Cross: www.redcross.org or call them toll-free: (800) HELP NOW. Locally, WFAA-TV/Channel 8-The Dallas Morning News-Belo Corporation has organized their own charity vehicle: The Spirit of America Fund...more info available on the Internet on www.wfaa.com or donations can be made at any Chase branch
Another opportunity to donate cash is planned for Friday night, September 21, 2001 from 8-10p CT on all four major networks: An unprecedented simulcast of an event to be aired by all of the major TV networks: "America: A Tribute To Heroes" originating from both New York and Los Angeles. An A-List of TV/movie stars and musicians will be on hand to raise cold cash for the families of the victims of the tragedies that struck America on 9-11-01 in New York City, Washington D.C. and remote pasture in rural Pennsylvania. Of course, there will be a toll-free number to call during the show to make your donations: DON'T BE AFRAID TO CALL THEM WITH YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER! It's a legitimate cause and money-raising vehicle.
Here's more information about the scams making the rounds, in a story distributed by Reuters:
Internet Scam Artists See a Profit in Attacks
Updated: Wednesday, September 19, 2001 8:09 AM EDT
By Karen Matusic
LONDON (Reuters) - Internet fraudsters are profiting from last week's attacks on the United States, playing on public sympathy to rake in "grubby money" around the globe.
Investigators say a number of Web sites purporting to represent legitimate charities have sprung up to lure unwitting donors into handing over credit card details.
"We were very quickly made aware of a number of scams after the attacks and were not surprised," said an official at Britain's National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS).
"These fraudsters typically exploit human misery so they invariably create human misery. They are without scruples because this is how they make money. It is very grubby money," he told Reuters.
Internet ScamBusters, a Web site dedicated to reporting on cyber fraud and spammers – senders of junk e-mail -- said it had received reports of spammers calling for emergency relief donations in the name of the Red Cross but actually stealing credit card details for their own use.
"Many of these spammers are trying to steal money and credit card numbers. If you wish to contribute money to an organization, we recommend that you do so directly through the organization's site, or to a local chapter," ScamBusters said on its Web site www.scambusters.org
A spokesman for the Red Cross in London said the organization had received "a number of calls from people who have received false and unsolicited requests for donations using the Red Cross name."
"We have been advising them of official ways to donate," he said.
The main American Red Cross Web site is www.redcross.org.
The Red Cross's official donation system Web addresses are www.store.yahoo.com/redcross-wtc/ and
www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp
FRAUD BEGETS FRAUD
The NCIS official said he expected to see another style of cyber scam soon to try to capitalize on the U.S. tragedies -- the so-called "advanced fee fraud" which he said had been attempted in the past by West African nationals.
He said a victim would get an unsolicited e-mail saying a West African national killed in a well-publicized disaster, such as in the hijacking of the planes crashed into the World Trade Center and Pentagon, had left an unclaimed fortune.
"They would then say, 'I have chosen you as a trusted source to help get this money out of the country, please supply me with your bank details.' It seems fairly innocent. All they need is a sign you are hooked," the official said.
"But they then say we have come up with a problem and need to bribe someone or pay off a lawyer, hire an armored car, things like that -- so you end up losing 30,000 pounds ($44,000) pretty quick."
Investigators say Internet fraud costs credit card companies millions of dollars every year, though it is hard to put a price on it since many victims, too embarrassed to admit they fell for a scam, do not contact authorities.
"People are only now creating a market that fraudsters can exploit on a regular and large scale. It is early days, though we can be sure that it will over the next few years cost many millions of pounds," the NCIS official said.
Software developers are working on ways to detect bogus Web sites. British company Security and Standards has a product that it says will verify if a site is legitimate and secure so that data provided online will remain confidential. "Our product works as a guardian angel that just sits in the background and is free to download," said John Ross, the firm's managing director.
BE CAREFUL!!!
GET YOUR SYSTEM PROTECTED FROM THE NEWEST INTERNET VIRUS
Speaking of Internet/e-mail charity scams: We need to point out what a wonderful communications tool the Internet and e-mail evolved into on 9-11-01 and the days that followed. When traditional communications methods broke down because of the disaster and the telephone and cell phone infrastructure being pushed beyond its limits, e-mail was a Godsend. So let's keep it running smoothly, and make you smart about the latest–and quite dangerous–virus that's spreading like wildfire across the nation and around the world.
The 'Nimda' virus or worm appeared online Tuesday, Sept 18th for the first time and is currently spreading across the Internet, and we want you to be alerted, informed and armed with the tools needed for protection against this harmful virus.
If you are using Windows 95, 98, Millennium, NT, or 2000 software, you are vulnerable to the Nimda virus. Your computer can be infected with the virus by 1) downloading email attachments; 2) visiting Web sites infected with the virus; and 3) through other computers infected with the virus on a network system.
E-mail: The Nimda virus can arrive by email as an attachment reportedly named readme.exe, or sometimes readme.eml. Do not download this file. Remember, an email with the virus can come from friends as well as people that you do not know, so you should check all email that you receive.
Web Visits: Your computer can also become infected by visiting a web site that has been hit with the virus. To avoid infection while browsing the Web, you should immediately update your anti-virus software.
Initial reports indicate that the virus will not destroy any files on your computer or otherwise harm your computer. However, because the virus can use your computer to infect other computers, it is important to ensure your computer has the latest anti-virus software update. So act as soon as possible.
Take Action Now! Inoculate your system, or update your current anti-virus software "definitions".Anti-virus company assistance can be found at Symantec Security Response or McAfee's Security Response or Microsoft's patch is available to address a vulnerability caused by the Nimda virus.
Further information regarding this virus is available from the CERT Coordination Center at CERT Advisory.
THREE TIPS THAT WILL HELP YOU AVOID CREATING A CYBER-NIGHTMARE
DO NOT OPEN YOUR E-MAIL PROGRAM until you have installed or updated your anti-virus software. You don't even have to "open" an e-mail to get infected...it's very dangerous. If you don't have any, get it now!!! It's not expensive...less than $30, available at Sam's or CompUSA or even Borders or Barnes & Noble.
DO NOT OPEN YOUR BROWSER AND SURF THE WEB until you have installed or updated your anti-virus software. This is a very "sticky" virus and you can inadvertently pick it up by browsing on a website that has been infected. [This website was down on Tuesday and part of Wednesday while the company that hosts this website was upgrading and installing patches to prevent any infection in their system. In other words: Oursite's safe!
NEVER OPEN AN ATTACHED FILES that you may receive in your e-mail, EVEN IT'S FROM A FRIEND/FAMILIAR SOURCE. They could have been affected and their computer is going nuts, e-mailing the virus to everyone in their address book!
Here's more information about this dangerous virus, in a story from Reuters:
Virulent Nimda worm hits computers worldwide
By Bernhard Warner, European Internet Correspondent
LONDON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - A fast-spreading computer worm has corrupted corporate computer networks and personal computers in an outbreak that could be more widespread and damaging than the Code Red infections, computer security experts said.
Known as "Nimda," the word "admin" spelled backwards, the worm first appeared in the United States on Tuesday, spread to Asia overnight and thousands of European businesses opened business Wednesday morning with infected computer systems.
Internet security experts had warned of the potential for an increase in virus activity after last week's attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, but U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said there was no sign of a link to those events.
"There is no evidence at this time which links this infection to the terrorist attacks of last week," Ashcroft said.
Ashcroft said Nimda could prove "heavier" than the Code Red worm that caused an estimated $2.6 billion in clean-up costs after outbreaks in July and August.
One victim was German electronics conglomerate Siemens AG. The worm infiltrated part of its computer network, a company spokesman said, forcing the firm to shut down some computer servers and its e-mail system for a few hours on Wednesday.
As of 0930 GMT, the firm had fortified the affected systems. "No concrete damage was found," the spokesman said, adding the disruption had no impact on business operations.
The Nimda worm spreads by sending infected e-mails that carry an attachment labeled "readme.exe." It also propagates by infiltrating unsecured Web sites and attaching itself to an unsuspecting computer user's Web browser, IT officials said.
Its target is personal computers and Microsoft computer servers, making it a more malicious and versatile strain than earlier Internet threats, experts said.
In Europe, more than 15,000 companies had been infected by Nimda, said Raimond Genes, vice president of sales and marketing for Trend Micro Inc, a security software firm. "This one is really horrible," he said. "It's a combined attack."
The affected companies, which he would not name, are located in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Switzerland, said Genes.
Graham Cluley, senior technical consultant for Sophos Anti-Virus in Oxford, told Reuters on Wednesday he would not be surprised if hundreds of thousands of users had been affected.
TRIGGERED IN THE U.S.
It first appeared in the United States on Tuesday and was spreading rapidly in Japan and the rest of Asia. Infections were reported in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and China.
The worm had not significantly slowed overall traffic on the Internet, although, like Code Red, some corporate networks were bogged down. One aspect of Nimda's versatility was its ability to modify Web sites to carry files that can spread via downloads, analysts said.
Unlike Code Red, the worm can infiltrate a corporate network and create a user account with unlimited access to files and e-mail. "It can even send e-mails in your name," said Cluley.
Japanese online magazine "Scan Security Wire" said numerous Web sites had been infected this way, including that of Microsoft Corp's Japanese unit.
In the United States, about 130,000 Web servers and personal computers appeared to be infected with it as of Tuesday afternoon, said David Moore, senior researcher at Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis at UC San Diego's Supercomputer Center.
Nimda exploits an already detected vulnerability in Microsoft's Internet Information Server Web software running on Windows NT or 2000 machines, the same breach that the Code Red viruses exploited. This time though, expert say, it seeks to infiltrate a server by identifying one of 16 vulnerable access points.
Once Nimda infects a machine, it tries to replicate in three ways, said Vincent Weafer, senior director of Symantec Corp's Symantec Security Response unit.
It has its own e-mail engine and will try to send itself out using addresses stored in e-mail programs. It also scans IIS servers looking for the known vulnerability and attacks those servers.
Finally, it looks for shared disk drives [as in computers connected via a network] and tries to reach those devices.
|
|
|
|
|
