How to Protect Your System Aginst Phishers

My recent field guide on How to Spot a Phishing Scam and The Attack of the Big Phish raised some questions regarding the detection, and removal of malware on your computer system. Everyone had excellent questions, and I will try to address them in the comments section or on a separate post, so please check back.

My co-advisors have done a great job of covering malware on several posts. Chris Null has written some excellent articles on secure browsers, antivirus software, stopping malware, and how to beat spyware, which are all must reads if you have concerns regarding malicious software on your system.

That being said, software is available to help you flag phishing scams when they reach your inbox. Big companies are fighting back, and now offer software tools to help you distinguish between a phishing site and a legitimate site.

Yahoo! Sign-in Seal: Whenever you use any Yahoo! service, you're most likely required to enter your password. Yahoo! has added a new "sign-in seal" feature to protect users from phishing schemes. This optional feature allows consumers to personalize their login page with an image or a secret message that will be stored on their computer. Anytime you are directed to log into the Yahoo! website, the login page will display an image only known to you. If the image is not there, chances are you've landed on a spoof website. I highly recommend Yahoo! users use this feature.

Paypal SafetyBar:  We've all gotten Paypal spoofmail at one time or another, and it's a lot easier to delete the email, than to waste time trying to figure out if the email is legitimate. One reader recommended reporting the spam immediately instead, but that could be a cumbersome daily task. For those who just don't have the time, but do want to fight back against spam, there is a solution. Paypal's SafetyBar makes it easy for anyone to easily flag fraudulent emails.

eBay Toolbar: eBayers should install this free toolbar to help them detect fake web sites. Their Account Guard uses a color-coded system to warn you of spoof sites, entering your eBay password into an unverifiable site, and even helps you report spoof sites with one click.

Iconix: I just downloaded this free tool that provides you with a visual icon to verify the identity of the sender without opening the actual email. Works with Yahoo! Mail, Outlook Express, and MSN Hotmail too.

Norton Confidential: It warns you when visiting known or suspected phishing web sites, keystroke loggers programs, and confirms authenticity of sites that require personal information from you. 

Earthlink Toolbar: This is an add-on for Internet Explorer or Firefox with ScamBlocker to protect your from fraudulent sites by displaying a color-coded security rating.

McAfee's Site Advisor: Works with Internet Explorer or Firefox to alert you of dangerous sites by using a color-coded warning system. Read my post to learn more about it.  

As always, if you have other suggestions, let me know in the comments below. I hope this information helps you. I've already installed several of these programs myself!  

Disclosure: Yahoo! Mail, is owned and offered by Yahoo!, Inc., which also owns and operates Yahoo! Tech.