August 2005
Tidbits
This month's issue of Tidbits is dedicated to Internet safety: how to spot hoaxes, avoiding phishing expeditions, smart shopping and determining truth or fiction. Let's be safe out there!
How to Catch a Hoax
Security on the Internet is something that's becoming difficult to come by. More and more hoaxes are popping up attempting to steal our personal information. So be smart! And teach your patrons how to be smart, too. Teaching Information Evaluation Skills is a great article that will reinforce what you already know and will teach you a few things you might have missed along the way.
Take a look. It's important!
Phishing and Pharming
phishing:
a form of Internet fraud in which a fraudster spams the Internet
with email claiming to be from a reputable financial institution or e-commerce
site. The email message urges the recipient to click
on a link to update their personal profile or carry out some transaction.
The link takes the victim to a fake website designed to look like the
real thing. However, any personal or financial information entered is
routed directly to the scammer.
pharming:
the exploitation of a vulnerability in the DNS server
software that allows a hacker to acquire the Domain Name for
a site, and to redirect traffic to that website to another website.
DNS servers are the giant computers that "run" the Internet.
Phishing is far more common than pharming, but both offer a threat to consumers if we aren't paying attention to details. Don't fall prey to these scams! Read Gone Phishing: The Internet and Identity Theft from the AARP web site and Alarm Over Pharming Attacks from CNET Reviews for more information.
Email Hoaxes: Truth or Fiction?
Another kind of email hoax that's almost as prevalent as phishing comes from fraudsters who send out emails with stories of either fear or treasure. Ever receive the one about Microsoft giving away money if you forward their email on to everyone you know? It's a hoax. Ever receive the one about a serial killer using a $5 bill to lure his victims? Well, that's fiction, too. But by the time you might find that out, the fraudster has relied on your desire to protect your friends and loved ones and you have forwarded that email on to 10 people or more.
Do your best not to spread these email hoaxes! Go to TruthOrFiction.com and search for some keywords in the email you received. This site will tell you if it's a hoax or something to take seriously. They include a sample of the email they are reporting on, so you can compare it to the one you received. More often than not it will be the same word for word, and you'll know NOT to send it on to others.
Smart Shopping
These days, when we shop (both online and off) retailers collect a great deal of information about us. But do we know what they are doing with this information? Test your shopping savvy and try out this survey, Seventeen Facts American Shoppers Need to Know - But Don't [pdf]. The answers and sources can be found after the questions, so be sure to take a look and compare your answers to the results. You just might be surprised!
Adieu
Farewell until next time from the library system where all the computers are fast, all the books are worth reading, and all the librarians are above average!
This issue of Tidbits was written by Beth Carpenter, Web Services Manager for the Outagamie Waupaca Library System. Please send any comments or questions about this issue to Beth.
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