Home PC users put employers at risk from hidden viruses lurking in spam emails

Home PC users are increasingly falling victim to viruses from spam emails and are consequently putting their work IT systems at risk according to The Corporate IT Forum - tif., a membership organisation representing 148 of Europe’s largest IT user organisations. Viruses from spam already costs EU companies billions of euros each year (2.5 billion euros in 2002: Source European Commission). This problem is now being further exacerbated as employees forward information to work from home PCs or laptops, download information onto memory sticks and upload it at work, or access home email systems from their work PC, all of which can import viruses.

The growing number of mobile workers with laptops and employees with home PCs and broadband connection, allowing 24/7 connection to the internet, is driving many companies to try and tackle the problem by educating employees about the importance of ’protecting your home PC’.

According to David Roberts, tif. Chief Executive: People with home PCs are not only running the risk of costing their employer thousands of pounds by opening up spam emails, they are also making themselves vulnerable to all sorts of security risks. Who hasn’t got personal information on their home PC? Opening up spam emails could be the equivalent of handing a burglar the keys to your house. Many viruses contain an ’electronic backdoor’ which can be used to access any file on your computer, including credit card and bank details. Whether you are at work or at home the message is the same - think before you click.

To help home PC and laptop users protect themselves, tif. has put together the following tips:

Do:

Install and maintain firewall and anti-virus protection
Treat any emails from an unknown or unrecognised source as suspicious
Protect your PC or laptop by using passwords
Hide your password - many people store them in obvious places

Do not:

Use obvious passwords such as ’password’
Click on a link in an email unless you are sure it is from a reliable source
Reply to spam emails
Enter your credit card or password details on any suspicious sites