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10 Tips for Internet Safety |
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 28 August 2007 |
- Know where your children are going on the Internet. While rating software like Net Nanny and others can help with watching over the kids, nothing works as good as parental supervision.
- Don’t open ANY attachments in E-mail unless you are expecting them. This includes from people you know, to your bank email you receive. Even emails received from a credible business can be fishing emails trying to get you to go and give them your credit card information. Email is not as secure as most people are led to believe.
- Ads of ANY KIND are not your friend. Don’t click on them. Close them from the Task Bar if possible. This includes from email, pop-ups, and side ads on web sites themselves.
- Certain kinds of sites are havens for spyware. These include casino sites, adult-content sites, and most free online game services (Pogo, Yahoo Games, and certain others being notable exceptions). When in doubt, use the Pastor Rule- if your Pastor or other religious leader would not approve of the site’s content, don’t go.
- Online shopping or banking is generally safe. Just make sure the site uses a secure shopping cart or is a secure site in general. You can tell this by the closed padlock in the lower portion of your browser.
- KEEP YOUR SECURITY SOFTWARE AND WINDOWS UPDATED. This includes antivirus and antispyware software, as well as a firewall (if you are on a high-speed connection). If you do not have this software—GET IT and learn how to use it correctly.
- Copy your important files (pictures, documents, etc.) to some removable source (cd / dvd / flash drive / external hard-drive) on a regular basis. This is known as “Backing up” and will preserve the integrity of your valuable information in case your computer is infected from the Internet and needs to be reloaded.
- Do not keep your SSN or credit card information on your computer. No legitimate bank, shopping site, or government institution will ever ask for your SSN. The exception to this is filing your taxes online, in which case you should make sure that the site is secure.
- Research all software before downloading and installing on your computer. Certain programs are just plain bad for your computer, your privacy, and your wallet. Among these are file sharing utilities like Limewire (the free, not subscription, version), fake security software that you have never head of, and some social networking programs (instant messengers and the like). In the case of file sharing and instant messaging, it is easily possible to download malicious software disguised as something else-like music, documents, or programs. When in doubt, ask a professional.
- DON’T GET PARANOID. While caution is a good thing, it can be taken too far. The Internet is a wonderful place full of information and entertainment. A little common sense goes a long way. Be cautious, but relax and have fun.
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