Kill A Zombie Day - Will you join the fight on Halloween?

What are you personally doing in the worldwide fight against zombies?

We've designated October 31st, also known as Halloween, to be "International Kill-A-Zombie Day".

Here's a movie trailer we've made to encourage you to join the fight:

(Enjoy this video? You can check out more on the SophosLabs YouTube channel and subscribe if you like)

Millions of computers around the world, in homes and business premises, are - without the knowledge of their owners - under the control of cybercriminals who commandeer the PCs to send spam, distribute malware, and commit identity theft.

Billions of spam messages are sent every day, with over 99% determined to be relayed from innocent users' computers that have been hijacked and turned into a "zombie". Hackers control networks of zombie computers, known as a botnet, in order to silently send out adverts that peddle sexual enhancement drugs or questionable financial deals, distribute scareware attacks to trick users out of their credit card details, access your social networking accounts, and spread further malicious attacks.

So, what can you do to help?

• Scan your computer and those of your friends (ask permission first!) with an up-to-date anti-virus program. If you don't already have an anti-virus you can always download a free trial edition from Sophos.
• Keep your operating system and programs up-to-date with the latest security patches, and run a firewall.
• Join the "International Kill A Zombie Day" group on Facebook and spread the word.
• Tweet on Twitter: "I'm joining the fight! International Kill-A-Zombie Day"

Good luck in the fight against zombies!