Scams and Viruses – Some Guidelines on how to Protect Yourself

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We’ve had an increase of malware/virus events recently and want to take this chance to remind our valued customers of some guidelines we suggest to protect you, and your computer. Remember, PMT will never ask for your personal information, or use POP-UPS to solicit your business (see suggestion #5.)

  1. Backup! Make sure that critical documents are backed up. Don’t keep files on your local drive without some form of backup. Contact our TechForce department at (208) 436-8324 for assistance.
  1. NEVER open an attachment that you aren’t expecting. If you receive an email with an attachment and you aren’t sure if you were expecting it, verify with the sender that the file is safe. Files that end in the extensions .exe or .scr commonly hide malware. However, even files with familiar extensions such as .docx, .xlsx, and .pdf can be dangerous.
  1. Install anti-virus software and keep it up to date. Do not install unnecessary software.
  1. NEVER give your credit card out if someone says they need it to clear up a virus on your computer, to win a prize, or to verify your account. Contact our TechForce Department for assistance at (208) 436-8324.
  1. POP-UPS are usually bad. If EVER you are warned via a pop-up that you have a virus or need to call a number to have your computer checked, IT IS A SCAM! A little trick for pop-up closing is to use the key strokealt-F4 rather than clicking the x.
  1. Never click “Agree” or “OK” to close a window. Instead, click thered “x” in the corner of the window or press Alt + F4 on your keyboard to close a window.
  1. Download programs only from websites you trust. If you’re not sure whether to trust a program you are considering downloading, enter the name of the program into your favorite search engine to see if anyone else has reported that it contains spyware.
  1. Be wary of popular “free” music and movie file-sharing programs, and be sure you understand all of the software that is packaged with those programs.
  1. Don’t click links on suspicious websites or in email messages. Instead, type the website address directly into your browser, or use bookmarks.
  1. Don’t automatically trust that instant messages, email messages, or messages on social networking websites are from the person they appear to be from. Even if they are from someone you know, contact the person before you click the link to ensure that they intended to send it.
  1. If your computer is infected, stop using it and contact ourTechForce department at (208) 436—8324