RE: Firefox saved my ass...
October 11, 2016 at 10:35 pm
(This post was last modified: October 11, 2016 at 10:36 pm by Jehanne.)
(October 11, 2016 at 8:00 pm)Aractus Wrote:(October 11, 2016 at 7:16 pm)Jehanne Wrote: or, rather, my computer's ass.
To make a very long story short -- received an email from a family doctor that appeared to be completely authentic; was even from the doc's correct email with his signature, address, phone number and title. Email invited me to click on a "secure Google document", but when I did, Firefox had already flagged the website as being malicious. Turns out that it was located in Dubai!
With this incident, I am now a lifelong Firefox user!
That highlights the fact that in-browser security is required. Not just the built-in malicious website protection, but also by disabling the flash plugin, installing the MVPS hosts file and uBlock Origin installed with malware filters and ad server filters enabled. They are just as important as a virus scanner in my mind, because they protect you from potential threats before they are executed and become the problem of your virus scanner. And of course they protect you from phishing websites. It's not a complete protection of course, but it helps.
And, I can't emphasize enough (no "bragging" here) that the email that I got was first-rate, an exact spoof of what I would have expected to have come from a doctor, the header, footer, signature, all of it, in elaborate cursive with the type of art that you would find on a dollar bill (except, with color). No telling what would have happened had Firefox not intervened; some exploits, such as "rasonware", will install without you even knowing it. This experience has changed my attitude completely about going online; I thought that I was safe using Gmail, that Google would scan everything, and this one slipped right by them.
![[Image: Untitled2_zpswaosccbr.png]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=i1140.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fn569%2Fthesummerqueen%2FUntitled2_zpswaosccbr.png)
