There are many resources on the Internet, lots of ways to connect with friends and social contacts, and
every day there seems to be something new online to explore.
Unfortunately, the criminals have also discovered the value of the
online world. They directly target those who do not take a few very
simple steps to protect their privacy. Here are 10 ways to safeguard
your information from the most common threats and vulnerabilities that
put you, your family and your office at risk:
1. Keep up-to-date your operating system, any
programs you have installed and, most importantly, your antivirus
software. Turn on the auto‐update feature, and let your computer update
itself automatically. Be sure to reboot if it asks you to.
2. Uninstall any software you do not use. Outdated
programs often have security problems, and if you are not going to use
an application anymore, why not free up the space on your hard drive
while at the same time making your computer more secure?
3. Make sure your screen‐saver requires a password
to reactivate. Too often (particularly in shared environments with
roommates or officemates) a creative friend might send embarrassing
emails from your computer or accidentally download malicious software.
4. If you have a laptop, be sure the built‐in disk
encryption feature is running. This will protect your laptop if it is
lost or stolen. Also, invest in a cable lock so that your laptop is
physically secured while you are on a break or temporarily away from the
computer. Laptops can be stolen in just a few seconds.
5. Be careful with what you post on social
networking sites about yourself, your friends, family and colleagues and
your job. Remember: Once on the Internet, always on the Internet,
especially photographs.
6. Use website passwords that are complex but easy for you to remember. If possible, use a
“passphrase”
rather than a “password.” Data thieves know what the commonly used
passwords are, so stay away from easy ones like “123456” or “Password1.”
In addition, use different user IDs and passwords for different
websites. That way if the bad guys compromise a password for one
website, your other accounts will not be not compromised as well.
7. Pay close attention to where you are online. Many
phishing sites appear to be legitimate, but if you look closely at the
address bar you will see that you are not really at your bank or site
that you thought you were going to. Think twice before entering any
personal information at a new website. Does this company really need to
know the things it is asking for?
8. Be careful with peer‐to‐peer or file‐sharing programs. They should never be used on office
computers,
and if you have them at home, pay close attention to which parts of
your hard drive are
sharing with others. Under no circumstances should
you put work information on your personal computer, especially if you
use P2P software at home to share files with your friends.
9. When you “reply to all” in emails, check each of the email addresses to make sure you know where
your
email is going. Also, BE VERY CAREFUL if you reply to a posting from a
listserver or online group. Your reply may go to the entire group
rather than just the person you thought you were responding to.
10. Know whom to call or contact if you think you have become a victim of online crime. Events happen
fast online, and you often do not have much time to call for help before it is too late. In addition, keep a
backup copy of all personal information (passwords, credit card numbers, bank account information,
emergency phone numbers, etc.) on a physical piece of paper that is locked in a fireproof container.
