What is ‘Malware’ & ‘SMiShing’?

Malicious software, “malware,” can take many shapes – from viruses that infect your favorite devices to spyware and adware that track your online activities.

What to Look For

You may be able to tell when malware has been installed on your device. Symptoms include:

Sluggish or choppy performance
A barrage of unwanted pop-up ads
New and unfamiliar toolbar icons
Unauthorized account access or signs of fraud

These tips will help protect you and your devices from malware:

Install and regularly update anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. For mobile devices, be sure that you connect your device to a private computer or network, versus public ones.
Uninstall unused apps.
Be careful connecting to Wi-Fi. Make sure it is a secured network and do not provide personal information or conduct transactions on public Wi-Fi. Requiring a password to access a public Wi-Fi does not guarantee that service is secured. In fact, in most cases it is not.
When downloading free software like games or peer-to-peer file-sharing programs, be aware that spyware can be bundled in.
Regularly back up your devices to avoid information loss.
Set up a screen lock after prolonged inactivity.

SMiShing

More criminals are using text messages to try to get you to give them information. This is called SMiShing because texts are SMS or “short message system” messages.

A text message leads you to a fake website that imitates a real company. That site will ask for personal information – username, password or credit card information.

Here’s how to help protect yourself:

Only open text messages from someone you know and trust.
Don’t send personal information by replying to a text from an unknown sender.
Always go directly to a company’s website, not the link included in the text message. Scammers can build fake websites using forged company logos, signatures and styles.
Ensure that a website is secure by checking to see whether there is an “s” after the http in the address and a lock icon at the bottom of the screen.

Spam text messages

Spam texts are unsolicited and unwanted ads. Avoid responding directly to these – doing so alerts the spammer that your phone number is genuine.

If the text contains a telephone number, do not call the number. It is just another part of the scam.
They will likely come from a normal ten-digit phone number you don’t recognize. (such as 555-555-1234 rather than a short code number like 15005)
Do not call the number the text came from to ask what the text meant.

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