{"id":634,"date":"2012-12-05T01:17:42","date_gmt":"2012-12-05T01:17:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.compuclever.com\/posts\/?p=634"},"modified":"2012-12-20T17:37:33","modified_gmt":"2012-12-20T17:37:33","slug":"who-can-you-trust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.compuclever.com\/posts\/who-can-you-trust\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Can You Trust?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

There are software producers that are dedicated to security, safety, and to combat online crime.\u00a0 One of the guiding principles for CompuClever is to assist users in making their PC secure by removing confidential and private information such as banking and credit card data.\u00a0 There are many security vendors that protect our computers from viral attacks \u2013 viruses and malware and the like.\u00a0 We come to rely on these companies and trust they employ high standards of ethics.\u00a0 However, when it comes to the \u201cbottom line\u201d \u2013 money and the pursuit of profits \u2013 you need to be vigilant and you need to take precautions.\u00a0 In some cases, such as the example described here, you need to take a stand.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

McAfee Forges Credit Card<\/h2>\n

McAfee is a security software company based in California which was purchased in 2010 by Intel for $7.68 billion.\u00a0 We are no less than shocked to experience first-hand that McAfee, a company whose objective is to protect its clientele from fraudulent behaviour, would go as far as to force a transaction by arbitrarily picking a new credit card expiry date.\u00a0 This was done all for the purpose of renewing a software service license.\u00a0 In this article we will provide an overview as follows.\u00a0 The specifics and details of this case can be seen in detail in our blog (provide link).<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. We had been a McAfee Secure customer for the past four years until September 2012. \u00a0We made a conscious decision to not renew our service contract by not updating our credit card information which had expired.<\/li>\n
  2. McAfee went ahead to make the charge anyhow without notifying us or presenting us with the bill or invoice.<\/li>\n
  3. The charge went through based on a forged credit card expiry date. \u00a0American Express had accepted the charge and processed it without due diligence of the altered expiry date.<\/li>\n
  4. We followed up with both McAfee and American Express.\u00a0\u00a0 Refer to the blog article for details<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Response<\/h2>\n

    What has been the response from McAfee when confronted?\u00a0 Rather than apologizing and reversing the wrong-doing we had some alarming comments back from McAfee representatives.\u00a0 We were told that the onus was on us to provide a written notice to cancel our renewal.\u00a0 We were told that we needed to: \u201cplay according to the terms\u201d.\u00a0 We were also told that the change to the credit card expiry date was the result of adjustments that occur within \u201cthe system\u201d.\u00a0 These responses are indicative of a failure to take responsibility and to practice good ethics when conducting business.<\/p>\n

    McAfee has taken measures that resemble the classic case of a \u201cbad cop\u201d \u2013 someone who is on the take and have put themselves above the law.\u00a0 Their actions and lack of good practices (such as providing clear measures to exit the license subscription), are a form of entrapment.\u00a0 This transgression either reflects unethical business practices or in fact willfully fraudulent and illegal action.\u00a0 In either case, trusting the very businesses that prides themselves on protecting you from malicious and malevolent actions, is fundamentally taking advantage of the good faith we place in our day to day relationships and transactions.<\/p>\n

    How to Protect Yourself<\/h2>\n

    The following list includes recommendation on how you can prevent these kinds of occurrences from happening.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Be careful of entering a renewable products\/service contract. \u00a0\u00a0Examine the details of how the renewal of a software license occurs.\u00a0 Be especially clear if it happens automatically with online banking.<\/li>\n
    2. Be very clear of the cancellation policy. \u00a0If you want to cancel it is best to have some evidence of this.\u00a0 Use email, fax, or write a letter to the service provider.<\/li>\n
    3. Always review your credit card bill.\u00a0 Be vigilant for any items that are not authorized.<\/li>\n
    4. Do not store credit card information with vendors and service providers as they can be misused as is clear in this case presented here.<\/li>\n
    5. Guard your credit card information. \u00a0Do not leave sensitive personal and private information on your PC or in any place that it can fall into the wrong hands.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Good Business Practices<\/h2>\n

      There are business practices that we must expect from the companies we do business with.\u00a0 We need to set a standard.\u00a0 We need companies to gain our permission \u2013 explicit permission \u2013 when renewing licenses.\u00a0 We need to demand that companies not store our credit card information.\u00a0 One only has to recall how Sony was the victim of online theft not only once but twice in the beginning of 2011<\/a>.\u00a0 The first time data thieves pilfered personal information that was not encrypted.\u00a0 The second time was a security breach that involved theft of over 12,000 credit card numbers.<\/p>\n

      At CompuClever we provide perpetual software usage (the user can continue to use the software indefinitely), that comes with one year of product updates and customer support which can be renewed.\u00a0\u00a0 Prior to the expiration of the one year subscription, the user makes the explicit decision to renew product updates and customer support.\u00a0 We also make it our business to not store payment information.\u00a0 Every renewal is treated like a new transaction using trusted e-commerce service providers to keep confidential information safe and secure.<\/p>\n

      On Your PC<\/h2>\n

      On a final note, securing credit card information and other confidential data needs to be a part of your security routine.\u00a0 If online theft can break through whatever systems Sony had in place, it\u2019s a sure bet you could be a victim of online theft.\u00a0 The safest action you can take is to NOT store confidential data on your PC.\u00a0 PC Clean Maestro can assist you in keeping information from falling into the wrong hands.<\/p>\n

      \n

      Safety and ethical business practices go hand-in-hand.\u00a0 That is to say, you need to keep your information safe and be certain that the companies you deal with are using ethical business practices.\u00a0 We at CompuClever make it our business to re-define quality of service; we dedicate ourselves to re-establishing trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There are software producers that are dedicated to security, safety, and to combat online crime.\u00a0 One of the guiding principles for CompuClever is to assist users in making their PC secure by removing confidential and private information such as banking and credit card data.\u00a0 There are many security vendors that protect our computers from viral…","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,59,55],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-634","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-blog","7":"category-pc-security","8":"category-protect-online-privacy","9":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nWho Can You Trust? 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