Internet Security

Unsolicited E-mails and the Protection of Privacy

Spamming
Phishing
Spyware
Pop-up Ads
Cookies

Spamming

The massive distribution of unsolicited messages by people or companies is a technique known as “spam” or “spamming”. Most of the time, these messages have an advertisement or pornographic content. To obtain lists of electronic addresses these people or companies consult newsgroups, purchase e-mail lists, and surf the Net.

Even though this technique is deplorable, it is not illegal as such and it is extremely difficult to control. However, you can take some basic precautions.

Recommendations Use an alias e-mail address (other than your personal address) if you post to newsgroups or bulletin boards. Avoid opening unsolicited e-mail. Spam usually means scam and the message may contain a virus that can damage your computer.   Avoid opening unsolicited e-mail. Do not buy products from or reply to a company that spams - it only encourages them to continue spamming. Do not reply to or forward "chain-letter" e-mail. Most e-mail software offer the option to block originators or to automatically filter messages based on the correspondent’s e-mail address, key words used in the message and/or the title of the e-mail message. Do not hesitate to use this function. Beware of the contents of e-mail messages circulating on Internet, especially those that invite you to invest money in a venture without any solicitation on your part and promise huge profits. When in doubt concerning the legal aspect of an investment proposal, always remember, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is!”

Phishing

Phishing is the process of sending spam messages, the content of which appears to come from a legitimate institution and asks you to provide your personal account information.

Therefore, beware of all e-mail messages pretending to be from your bank, paypal or e-Bay accounts. Cases have been reported where individuals have received e-mail from what appeared to be their bank asking them to click on a link included in the message. The content of the message stated that by clicking on the link you would be directed to the bank’s home page, where you could log onto your on-line banking account, thus allowing the bank to confirm your e-mail address, or to participate in a contest. If you click on the link, you are brought to a web site that appears to be your bank’s web site, but it is not. When you enter your personal information such as your debit card number and password, this information is immediately sent to the perpetrators of this fraud. Canadian banks do not send e-mail to customers requesting them to provide account information.

Recommendations If you receive any e-mail that requests personal information, for example from your bank, do not provide it on-line. Contact the institution by telephone using a phone number that you obtained via an independent source (ie. Not from the suspect e-mail!). If the bank did not send the e-mail, they will tell you and they will notify the authorities. Do not click on the link that is embedded inside any e-mail of this type.

Spyware

Spyware is software that gathers information about people without their knowledge. Generally speaking, it tracks your movements and habits on the Web and sends the information to advertising companies. They use the information to create marketing profiles thus helping them to market their products better. Spyware is sometimes included in free software (also known as shareware) that is downloaded from the Internet. Often there are long licence agreements (which few people read) stating that you agree to the software gathering information about your habits and sending it back to the company's Web site. Spyware can also find its way onto your computer via a virus.

Cookies also gather personal information about a user, but they are not considered spyware because they are not hidden. Users can disallow cookies at any time if they choose to do so.

The use of spyware is common practice in informatics. Even though this practice is not highly appreciated, it is not illegal and software manufacturers do not, as a rule, have criminal intent. We suggest that you contact the manufacturer to express your apprehension and comments. If you are not satisfied with the manufacturer’s reply, you still have the option to not use the software. There still are basic precautions that you can take to avoid that your computer become infected by spyware.

Recommendations Before installing free software, read the user agreement. It might make reference to a form of spyware or to the transmission of personal information. When you install software obtained on the Internet, refuse that additional free programs be installed along with the software. Such programs rarely are absolutely necessary and they may conceal spyware. Get an anti-spyware program. Some of these are offered for free on the Internet. Get a recent firewall and update it regularly.

Pop-up Ads

Pop-up ads are those small windows containing advertisements that literally pop up during your Internet sessions. In some cases, closing the window results in the repeated opening of one or more advertisement boxes. These boxes often are generated when you are surfing a commercial site, but they can also be launched by spyware.

As a rule, these windows are perfectly harmless. However, most Web users find them annoying because they hamper their Web sessions. It is possible to reduce and even to eliminate these pop-up ads.

Recommendations Get anti pop-up software which automatically closes these windows or boxes. Some of this software is available at no expense and can be downloaded from the Internet. Get a browser that enables you to block pop-up ads. Get recent anti-virus software and a firewall and update them regularly. Get special anti-spyware since spyware can generate pop-up ads. Spyware are sometimes not as harmless as pop-up ads. Several Web sites post very interesting articles on the major problems encountered while surfing the Net. Advice is also available. Look into it!

Cookies

Cookies are generally harmless pieces of information generated by a Web server and stored in the requesting user's computer. Cookies are stored to speed future access to the site making use of user-specific information transmitted to the Web to personalize a user's Web page. The storage and access of the cookies by servers are automatic and therefore generally unnoticed whenever a user requests a Web page.

The information contained in a cookie is text containing the user's preferences. The cookies are generally stored in a cookie folder by the browser so that they can be called up by the Web server whenever the user returns to the site.

Cookies are not a danger to your computer, they are information your Web browser uses to access Web sites. Cookies may, however, pose a threat to your privacy as they store your preferences and are accessible by all Web servers.

Recommendations If you wish to stop your browser using cookies, most browsers give you the option of either warning about accepting a cookie or rejecting all cookies. Several privacy programs also are available on the Web that will keep your information private.

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