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Social media and social manipulation

You may not have won the lottery, but you still win because the November issue of Hi-Tech Security Solutions has been bundled with our Access Identity Management Handbook 2012. The handbook is a comprehensive look into the world of access control and identity management for the coming year. Please have a look at it and let me have any comments: Did we get it right? Did we miss anything? Send your comments to andrew@technews.co.za.

Winning!

And speaking of lotteries, a friend of mine recently received a call from someone claiming to be from Microsoft. This helpful individual told him Microsoft had detected he had a virus on his system and he would help him get rid of it. My friend had the good sense to say “thank you very much” and hang up, but many people simply follow the persons’ instructions, which look impressive, but do absolutely nothing. In some cases they even install malware on your PC.

The result is they then charge you for it, and most people pay; or they ask to take remote control of your computer and install whatever they like on it, and try to charge you anyway. Just remember, nobody is about to call you to tell you there is a virus on your computer and offer to fix it. If you do get a call it will be from someone you send a virus-laden e-mail to who will offer some chosen words not meant to encourage or assist.

I am assuming that everyone realises that you have not won the UK lottery, Microsoft and AOL are not about to send you money and that friendly Nigerian is not really planning on sharing his father’s ill-gotten loot if you help him smuggle it out of the country. Trust me, your friendly African dictator already has his money safely in Switzerland or in the East and has no intention of sharing it with you.

Thanks for all the fish

As this is the last issue of Hi-Tech Security Solutions for 2011, I will take this opportunity to wish all of our readers the best for the Christmas season. And, given the vagaries of 2011, let us hope the economy plays nice in 2012. Hi-Tech Security Solutions will have some exciting new features and happenings in the new year we believe will add value to our readers and the industry as a whole. So be safe for the rest of the year and do not miss anything in 2012. If the Mayans are right, it is the year the world ends. However, if Newton was right, we have till 2060. It is always good to end on a positive note.

As usual, please send any comments to andrew@technews.co.za

Andrew Seldon, Editor

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