Protecting Against Pharming Scams

We sure scared you, right? That is good, since it is a very serious subject and should be taken with caution. The good news is there is a way to protect yourself, but it is not very simple. When you enter website, where you will have to provide bank accounts or important passwords, you must watch for one or two things:

• You should always verify the authenticity of a webpage before entering any information. First look and the URL in the browser’s address bar. It should start with https not just http. The s stands for secure and it shows that this particular webpage is encrypted in order to protect you data.
• You should examine the webpage’s certificate. If it has one, it will appear as a padlock icon next to the web address. Is it official? Has it expired? Does it correspond to the name of the website?
• Every single browser has its own way of showing this data. So, take your time and learn how to verify the authenticity of a webpage with your particular browser. This won’t take you more than ten minutes, but it can save you tons of problems and headache.
• In case you haven’t, you must purchase a legitimate anti-virus program. And you should let it auto-update itself.
• You should regularly update checks for your browser. This way you will always have the latest security definitions.

There is more good news worth mentioning. Poisoning the DNS cache is not permanent. It usually last a couple of hours.

If you believe you have been tricked into providing personal information, bank accounts or credit card information, you should immediately start by contacting the Federal Trade Commission.

Want to read more on the subject?