October 20, 2016

People know that the Internet is not a very secure place. However, everything they’ve heard about Internet threats means nothing until their systems get infected. When this happens, things they’ve only heard about (Trojans stealing confidential information and money or encrypting important data, etc.) suddenly hit home. The new Anti-virus Times column “Straight from the horse’s mouth” will give our readers the opportunity to share stories of their real-life encounters with Internet threats. You are welcome to join in our discussion and tell us about the dangers you've encountered on the World Wide Web.

Daily use of the Internet can be fraught with security risks. With modern types of malware, users need only to visit a bogus page and their systems get infected—that’s all it takes. Furthermore, research and the experience of system administrators show that it is users themselves who often launch malware on their computers, use removable media without taking any precautions, and neglect to update their anti-virus software.

Read real stories about Internet threats in the new Anti-virus Times column “Straight from the horse’s mouth”.

Unfortunately, no matter how much users are warned about Internet threats, the most effective way to teach them the basics of information security is through a real-life encounter with a system infection. Only then do people realise that the threats are real, even though this experience can be very costly in terms of lost money and sensitive information.

The Anti-virus Times welcomes all users to discuss their real infection incidents: tell us about the threats you’ve encountered, and Doctor Web’s experts will point out the possible mistakes you made that led to the incident and provide recommendations about what others should do if they find themselves in similar situations.