The good thing about Adobe's PDF format is that nearly everybody uses it--and if you just need to read those documents, it's free. Sadly, the program's very popularity is what attracts the bad guys. Hackers, say the security experts, look for a "target-rich environment," and with tens of millions of users, Acrobat and Reader fit the bill.
So what can you do to stay secure? I wish I had advice that went beyond the conventional wisdom, but I don't. I contacted security experts at Adobe and Symantec, and they both said pretty much the same thing. Marc Fossi, Manager, Research and Development, Symantec Security Response said this:
1. Consumers should make sure to keep their software up-to-date with all the most recent versions and security patches at all times. An easy way to do this is to ensure that applications are configured to retrieve updates automatically whenever there is a live Internet connection.
2. Using a full security software suite that includes antivirus and intrusion prevention capabilities can also protect against these types of threats.
Sure, Symantec is in the business of selling security software, so naturally they'll tell you to use their product. But in this case, put aside your skepticism and do what the man says. Newer security programs really do filter out lots of malware. And while it may seem utterly obvious, I'll repeat this old chestnut: Don't open attachments from people you don't know.
If you're running version 9 of Reader, you'll be prompted to download a security patch within the next few weeks. Do it.
