crbuys
Legal Expert: Internet
“Called <b>‘rogue diallers’</b> or <b>‘modem hijackers’</b>, a new breed of Trojan Horses computer viruses can secretly infect your PC and make long distance telephone calls without your knowledge” says Reinhardt Buys of IT law firm Buys Inc. “Since July 2004, these ‘rogue diallers’ have literally taken the world by storm”.
In recent weeks the UK telephone regulator has been contacted by thousands of consumers complaining that their phone bills include expensive calls to premium rate numbers that they did not call and officials at the British Department of Trade and Industry are trying to clamp down on the problem.
During August 2004, a ‘rogue dialler’ ran up charges of more than US$500 by making just six calls from an American victim’s computer.
The Irish communications regulator has even gone as far as publishing measures it proposes for implementation by ISPs and telephone companies in order to protect consumers from the scourge of these ‘modem hijackers’.
<b>SABC story: </b>http://www.sabcnews.com/sci_tech/telecomms/0,2172,89253,00.html
<b>Cape Times story:</b> http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=271&fArticleId=2253727
<b>What can be done?</b>
Notwithstanding actions that end-users can take to protect their PCs from ‘rogue diallers’, Matt Peacock, communications director of the UK telecommunications regulator, stated that” “There are definite actions we can take from the government’s side”.
South African telecommunications regulators have not yet addressed the issue.
Buys Inc. suggests dial-up Internet users consider the following safety tips:
• Turn your PC off if you are not using it.
• Unplug your phone line from your PC if you are not online.
• If you are using Windows, ensure that your PC is updated with the most recent security patches and upgrades. This may be done free of charge by clicking on [Windows Update] on the Microsoft website at www.microsoft.com.
• Use software to detect and clean spyware and diallers from your PC. Some of these applications are available as free downloads from the Internet.
Examples include Lavasoft’s AdAware (http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html?part=69274&subj=dlpage&tag=button);
Spybot from PepiMK Software (http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10289035.html); and
Emsi Software’s A2 Free (http://www.download.com/a-Free/3000-2239-10262216.html?tag=lst-0-14).
• Be wary of pop-up windows asking you to install software.
• Request Telkom to enable call barring to international numbers.
• Remove unwanted Internet connections from your PC (which can be viewed in your dial-up networking folder).
• Improve your PCs security by installing a firewall (see http://g.msn.com/0AD0000Q/610826.1??PID=2293121&UIT=G&TargetID=1063672&AN=22051&PG=CMSSC2).
Cheers, [
]
Reinhardt Buys
In recent weeks the UK telephone regulator has been contacted by thousands of consumers complaining that their phone bills include expensive calls to premium rate numbers that they did not call and officials at the British Department of Trade and Industry are trying to clamp down on the problem.
During August 2004, a ‘rogue dialler’ ran up charges of more than US$500 by making just six calls from an American victim’s computer.
The Irish communications regulator has even gone as far as publishing measures it proposes for implementation by ISPs and telephone companies in order to protect consumers from the scourge of these ‘modem hijackers’.
<b>SABC story: </b>http://www.sabcnews.com/sci_tech/telecomms/0,2172,89253,00.html
<b>Cape Times story:</b> http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=271&fArticleId=2253727
<b>What can be done?</b>
Notwithstanding actions that end-users can take to protect their PCs from ‘rogue diallers’, Matt Peacock, communications director of the UK telecommunications regulator, stated that” “There are definite actions we can take from the government’s side”.
South African telecommunications regulators have not yet addressed the issue.
Buys Inc. suggests dial-up Internet users consider the following safety tips:
• Turn your PC off if you are not using it.
• Unplug your phone line from your PC if you are not online.
• If you are using Windows, ensure that your PC is updated with the most recent security patches and upgrades. This may be done free of charge by clicking on [Windows Update] on the Microsoft website at www.microsoft.com.
• Use software to detect and clean spyware and diallers from your PC. Some of these applications are available as free downloads from the Internet.
Examples include Lavasoft’s AdAware (http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html?part=69274&subj=dlpage&tag=button);
Spybot from PepiMK Software (http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10289035.html); and
Emsi Software’s A2 Free (http://www.download.com/a-Free/3000-2239-10262216.html?tag=lst-0-14).
• Be wary of pop-up windows asking you to install software.
• Request Telkom to enable call barring to international numbers.
• Remove unwanted Internet connections from your PC (which can be viewed in your dial-up networking folder).
• Improve your PCs security by installing a firewall (see http://g.msn.com/0AD0000Q/610826.1??PID=2293121&UIT=G&TargetID=1063672&AN=22051&PG=CMSSC2).
Cheers, [
]Reinhardt Buys
]
