Yet Again Be Careful When Browsing

A number of people have wound up calling me to help them recover their computers when the problem was simply that some website had been given permission to send notifications.

When browsing, be very careful. The more popular the category in which you’re searching, the more likely there are bad websites pretending to serve your needs. Sites like recipe sites, craft sites, and other hobbyist sites are often targeted or imitated.

I have granted one or two sites, such as my bank, permission to send me notifications. All other sites are blocked.

Always know where you are. If you’re on a site that looks odd, don’t give any information or permissions.

Finally, read everything that asks you to click, and be sure it’s something official. Ads use a trick that makes their graphic look like a button with something like “Click Here to Download.” Unfortunately, that’s not the thing you wanted to download, but something else. If you’re lucky, it’s just someone who hopes to tell you something. If not, you may be downloading a virus.

I always tell my clients that I (using good security software) can protect them from many things, but I can’t protect them from things they do to themselves.

For my clients, remember that you have my telephone number. If in doubt, ask. Many, many times my clients have saved themselves a lot of trouble by just calling and asking. In the vast majority of cases, when someone has called me, their call is about a clear phishing attempt or some other scam.

Be careful. Be safer. Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they (the scammers/hackers) aren’t after you.