Cyberthieves Are Out To Get You

October is the sixth annual National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Security experts urge all computer users, not just industry and government, to take responsibility and practice good "cyber hygiene" to protect themselves and their families at home, at work and at school.

We spoke with cyber security expert Melih Abdulhayoglu, the CEO and chief security expert for Comodo. His company Comodo, offers FREE internet security for consumers' Pc's.

"People don't realize their BlackBerry's and I-pods ARE computers," said Abdulhayoglu. "the days of cellphones are gone. We carry a full computer in our pockets. We cannot dismiss that these things are powerful.

"So our BlackBerry's and I-pods have the capability of running applications.

"All criminals have to do is trick us into opening one up. If you download or install the application, you've just given them full access to everything that's in your BlackBerry or I-pod.

"They're going to be interested mainly in money. They want your bank account details. They want your social security number. They want your credit card details.

"Criminals know how lucrative this field is. It's growing. Criminals now are targeting people's computers, their cellphones.

We, the human race, have created this platform called computers. It's not reasonable to expect us not to use it. We should use it, but we should use it safely.

So how do you prevent getting suckered into downloading an application.

"Use social authentification. Let's identify, let's authenticate an application.

"If it's an application you want to download, ask around. Look it up online. Make sure other users have experiences with these applications. Are they good experiences? Then go ahead and download it.

"If you have received an e-mail asking you to download an application, make sure it's from someone you know? If it's not, don't install it.

"The anti-virus industry has not matured enough to help protect what we term cellphones.

So your BlackBerry and I-phone are out there for the pickings.

"I wouldn't personally recommend anti-virus products or companies right now because the problem with anti-virus is that it's a very reactive technology. It only helps you clean up after the fact.

"You're looking for PREVENTIVE technology.

"Comodo has preventive technology. There are many other companies, good companies out there, who use prevention as a first line of defense.

"Lots of anti-virus technology does not use prevention as their first line of defense. They're cleaning technologies.

"You must look at preventive technologies.

"The trouble with criminals is they know how to get to you. They come to you. They send you e-mails, they even advertise unbelievable deals, half price deals, you think, 'Hey what a great deal', and you go there. So they know how to get to you. It's not about them hiding in a corner anymore. They're out there to get you."

So why steal your contact list?

"It's all about piggybacking on the trust you have with your friends.

"Giving someone your contacts list is like a goldmine to a criminal.

"You give more credence to an e-mail from a friend..or from your Mom that says, 'honey, get this application, it's one of my favorites.'

"Anything and everything about you is of value.

"You live two lives: one physical and one digital. They both are of value to a criminal.

"It's not as bad as it's going to be in the next two years. It's only started now.

"And unless we start preventing these things the money that's feeding this underworld is going to get bigger.

"Criminals are looking for new ways of revenue. We are seeing the market growing and growing.

"The BlackBerry you carry, the I-phone you carry, has over 100 times the computing power than the first space shuttle.

"These are your computers, these are running your life, running your digital life. We're starting to put everything from our physical lives into our digital lives.

"I don't think we should create digital technology to limit us, what we should do is be more careful. Always ask around, do your research online by looking at feedback, user feedback that's the best thing you can get.

"Look for users like you, make sure they have the experience with whatever application you want to download before you download.

"Internet impulse equals happy criminals.

"These are computers, they just don't have big screens.

"If we want security for our digital world we have to provide security for free

"Some people in China, in India can barely scrape together the $300 for a computer. They don't have an extra $60 for anti-virus software.

"These fishing scams are coming from their computers. They get taken over by criminals.

It's unintentional. These people don't know their PC has fallen victim to criminal activity. It's now being used against them and against us.

"These fishing e-mails are coming from victims whose computers have turned into what we are calling zombies.

"Victims happily go onto their computers and use it without realizing that their computer is being used for criminal activities.

"Comodo offers free internet security. Totally free.

"We provide support, we provide free security because unless we provide security we do not have the future of the digital world for the human race.

"It's an important task for me as a person, for me as a company, to ensure a healthy ecosystem in the digital world. Everyone will benefit."

For more information on these theories and about this technology go to: www.comodo.com.