With virus writers, hackers and spammers disguising their attacks as bogus Valentine's cards, Sophos is warning computer users not to get carried away trying to find out who their secret admirer might be.
According to the IT security and control firm, users must exercise caution when opening and clicking on links contained within unsolicited electronic greeting cards, as a Sophos poll reveals that eight out of 10 systems administrators are worried that e-cards pose a security risk.
Sophos notes that while systems administrators are clearly well aware of the risks, it's essential that all employees are educated about the dangers, and taught how to avoid falling victim. Cyber-criminals are well known for using social engineering tactics to trick unwary users into inadvertently downloading malicious code - this Valentine's Day will be no exception, as the fraudsters will try and exploit all the fun and romance for their own benefit.
"A favourite trick among hackers is to disguise their attack as an e-card from an anonymous admirer, and as Valentine's Day approaches, we can expect the fraudsters to redouble their efforts," says Brett Myroff, CEO of regional Sophos distributor, Sophos South Africa.
System administrators may well be on guard as lovelorn workers inadvertently allow cyber-criminals access to the corporate network. “It wouldn't be a surprise if some choose to block all electronic Valentine's cards,” Myroff says.
It seems that anyone who may feel left out over the Valentine's weekend may further be all the more inclined to open a romantic e-card sitting in their inbox when they go back to work on Monday. "Putting pen to paper would certainly be a safer bet against your Valentine's message not getting through,” he adds.
Sophos advises all users take computer security seriously every day of the year, and ensure their PCs are fully secured against the threats of viruses, spam and malware, as well as up-to-date with the latest security patches.
Sophos has published a spoof sexist public information film about the Valentine e-card threat, which can be viewed at http://www.sophos.com/blogs/gc/g/2009/02/10/public-information-film-valentine
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Sophos South Africa
Netxactics, trading as Sophos South Africa, is a South African-based company focused on the provision of security solutions. It is the Master Distributor for UK-based Sophos Plc, one of the leaders in the provision of network access control and endpoint, e-mail and Web security and control solutions for the corporate environment. For more information, visit Sophos South Africa at http://www.sophos.co.za.
Sophos
Sophos enables enterprises worldwide to secure and control their IT infrastructure. Our network access control, endpoint, Web and e-mail solutions simplify security to provide integrated defences against malware, spyware, intrusions, unwanted applications, spam, policy abuse, data leakage and compliance drift. With over 20 years of experience, we protect over 100 million users in nearly 150 countries with our reliably engineered security solutions and services. Recognised for our high level of customer satisfaction, we have an enviable history of industry awards, reviews and certifications. Sophos is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts and Oxford, UK.
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