Pre-paid cash card is a card that consumers load money in before they pay. It looks like credit and debit cards and can be use the same way as credit or debit card. Consumers can only spend the balance that has been preloaded onto the card.
Some provider will charge consumers for application fees but there are some free of charge if you top them up with a minimum amount of money. Consumers will have to pay annual fees of RM 9.90, but there are no interest and late charges.
An example of pre-paid cash card is Tune Prepaid Visa Card.
Pre-paid card is easy to use and can be use anywhere visa is accepted.
It is easily available to consumers because there is no credit check which means you can get a card without worrying about your credit history.
With a pre-paid cash card consumers will have no chance of spending too much as they are limited to the amount that is in their card.
Consumers can withdraw money from the pre-paid card worldwide. It is globally accepted.
The card can be use to purchase airline ticket and reload mobile phone.
Pre-paid cash card will be useful if consumers are going to oversea for holiday. It offers a better exchange rate than foreign exchange providers.
This article defined that spamming is the flooding of electronic mail systems with “junk e-mail”. Also known as unsolicited bulk messages sent through the electronic messaging systems. One common spam is email spam. Spammers willing to send thousand email or more to get a single response. They use tricks to get you to read their messages by using the “Subject:” line. Usually your email address will not appear in the “To:” line and you will never see the email addresses of other people they sent the messages to.
The spammers now have come out with new spamming tactics which are PDF spam, Piggyback spam and Greeting Card spam.
PDF Spam
If you have received an email message containing only a subject line and PDF file attachment, it is likely to bethe PDF spam. Spammers started to use PDF spam because most of the users expect spam to be an image or text but not an attachment. Besides that, spam filters can not screen the contents of PDF attachment which will make the messages to be sent easily into your inbox instead of junk-mail.
The email recipients should not open the PDF attachment in the message that does not have text in message area. The email must be deleted immediately.
Piggyback Spam
Piggyback spam is embedded URL links that are completely unrelated to the spam being advertised. It may be asking you to click on a link of websites to view the message properly or to get further information. These links may lead to a downloadable file and if the user has download it, malware or spyware including a key logger and Trojan which will takeover the computer and add it to a botnet may be installed on user’s computer.
Users are advised not to save or download any unknown file.
Greeting Card Spam
The spammers have devised email that looked like greeting card but it contains dangerous virus. Usually, the subject line of the inbox informs recipients that they have received a greeting card from a friend, family member or love one. When the link to the website is being clicked, the user’s computer will upload the spyware. Once installed, the spyware begins operate immediately which disable the user’s antivirus software and record all emails being viewed as well as passwords that are being entered. To identify whether the greeting card contains spam or not, it usually uses a generic name instead of real name and also leads the user to download some custom software.
Users should not respond to unsolicited emails and don not click on links in the messages.
WIth the increasing awareness of user, the spammers will be continually try to outsmart the anti-spam software.REMEMBER always be suspicious of emails and you will safe from those spammers. Good luck ^^
As a user of computer and internet, I am concerning about how safe actually is our data. Even though there are a lot of online securities, but there would not be 100% protecting our data. There are several major threats to our computer :
1. Non Technical Attack
Social Engineering or Phishing
It is a practice of uses social pressures to set a trap so that the attacker can get confidential information to manipulate any transaction on behalf of the users. For example, an email sent to a user and makes he or she thought is an administrator and asking for password or credit card information to “update their account”, if failed to do so within 3 days, the current account will be suspended. In such case, users normally will access it without extra consideration and this makes the social engineering works.
2. Technical or Malicious Attack
Denial-of-service (DoS) attack
It is an attack on a website in which an attacker uses specialized software to send a flood of data packet to the target computer with the aim of overloading its resources. Due to overloading, it caused the network shut down and make users cannot access to the site.
First, the attacker uses a fake IP address in each packet and sends it to a user (victim).
Then, the user cannot differentiate which is the request is fake and legal, so he or she will tries to respond every request that he or she receives.
After that, the replies will reached to a computer that does not exist which means the attacker obtained the user’s information successfully.
Virus
A piece of software code that need to inserts itself into a host program including the operation systems, to spread from one computer to another computer. It can destroy your computer hardware, software and personal information.
In order to prevent the virus spread, you are recommended to have a good anti virus installed in your computer before connected to Internet. In addition, the anti virus program need to be updated.
Worm
Is a software program that runs independently, not like virus, it can spreads over the network without attached with host program. As a result, the attacker can take control of your computer remotely.
Due to this reason, you are advised not to simply open any attachment from your email unless you are clearly known what the content of the attachment is. Even though you want to open the attachment, you can save it into a folder on your hard drive and scan it with your anti virus software before you open it.
Trojan Horse
It is a program that appears to have a useful function but it may contains a hidden function that presents a security risk.
Users might lured by the Trojan horse that seems appeared as a gift, but it is actually brings harmfulness to your computer such as it allows the attacker to take control of your computer, steal your personal data such as credit card information and passwords, and even worst is caused your computer to stop functioning.
As a conclusion, we as a user of computer and internet, are responsible and be aware to protect our data to be kept safely besides depends on the online security.
Nowadays, people are using internet to do financial dealings such as e-banking. Millions of dollars are being traded in the internet daily. Besides that, personal information needs to be given to conduct financial transaction. There are number of virus programs in the cyber world that will cause lots of damages to our computer system. They are capable of accessing all the information stored in a computer which might erase the data and damage the operating system so that we could not use the internet.
There are a few safeguards that can be taken:
Ask your financial institution about its security program. You are entitled to be assured that the company takes data security seriously even though you may not obtain a copy of the company’s policy. Security is also often discussed on a company’s web site along with its privacy policy.
Do not provide persona data to an unsolicited e-mail. Many identity thieves are acting on behalf of financial institution to send e-mails.
Install the best security program or software. Internet security software can help to fight the threats in the internet such as spyware, adware, computer viruses and hackers. It is a program that can help protect your computer from vicious software in the internet.
Use anti-virus software. Anti-virus program is to protect against some viruses that are very harmful to your computers. Anti-virus program should also be updated constantly to better protect you from the new viruses.
Anti-spyware.Adware and spyware are dangerous programs that can access your personal information stored in your computer. It should be installed and updated regularly.
Choose your pin wisely. Do not choose a pin number that can be easily figured out by the thief such as your birth date or child’s name. A combination of uppercase and lowercase letter and numbers will give you a better security.
Avoid accessing information in public. When you’re outside in a restaurant or coffee shop that offers wireless access, do not log on to check your bank balance. You will not know how firm their firewall is.
Do not open unknown sender’s attachments. You must always be careful when there is any attachment or links that are sent to you. These attachments might contain viruses and the links might bring you to other website where you’re asked to input your financial information.
Report lost or stolen cards immediately to the bank or other financial institution that issued them so that the thief will not have a chance to use it.
Check billing statement. Match your receipts with your statement each month to ensure that you’re billed correctly and do not have any suspicious transactions.
