Amaz Universe

Phishing, an increasingly common form of online theft, is the act of tricking computer users into handing over control of their online accounts using, typically, a combination of a forged email and website. Phishing is a hackers term that comes from the scam’s parallels with fishing, with the fake emails and website acting as the bait, and the victims accounts as the netted phish. Phishing is done by spamming out authentic-looking emails that claim to come from a well-known financial or e-commerce institution such as Citibank, PayPal, eBay or America Online. These emails contain different messages, but usually follow the same formula: the recipient is asked to click on a link contained within the message, taking them to what appears to be a legitimate website. In fact, the website is a clever forgery, often virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.

Now McAfee has released a pair of its popular protection products for the Mac: McAfee Internet Security and McAfee Family Protection. These products allow Mac users to surf through the Web safely.

McAfee Internet Security can protect you from dangerous Web sites and browser exploits as well as telling you if a particular online shopping site has been checked over by McAfee. It can also scan e-mail and IM attachments from Mail and iChat to make sure nobody tries to slip you a mickey while online, and can repair many files without damaging the contents.

McAfee Internet Security runs $80 and covers one Mac for one year—after that, you’ll need to buy a new copy as there’s currently no upgrade pricing available. That’s all well and good for your own personal Web surfing.