Online security: Best defense is your head - Be Smart!

Our digital lifestyles are giving Internet pickpockets new opportunities for online shakedowns. But while consumers look for more safeguards, experts reinterate that the best protection is being smart and aware. Originally from Silicon Valley Most Viewed by John Boudreau.
Security experts say some of the most important protections aren’t found online but in the heads of Internet users. All too often online consumers drop their guard, exposing themselves to fraud, spyware and other malicious attacks.

“In this Internet era, people are so focused on finding the best deal that they get away from fundamental suspicions,” said Scott Petry, founder of Postini, a Redwood City-based e-mail security company. “There is no technological solution here. Any deal that seems too good to be true probably is too good to be true.”

Today’s Internet users are under siege from an array of malicious traps and scams - from phishers, who lure people to fraudulent Web sites, to remote-controlled robots that take over PCs. They need to constantly be on their toes - or, rather, fingertips - for professional online thieves.

Original Article