2. Use strong password
authentication
When you signup for an online membership like an online bank, Paypal,
Ebay etc., do not use weak passwords that can make it easy to hack
by people who know you or have some information about you,
Using your significant others name, childs name, pets name etc.
are weak. Use something stronger like first letters of the address
of the house where you were born linked to your birth year or
something along those lines. Try to no less than 7 alpha-numeric
characters in your password with at least one number.
It's best if the password is NOT some meaningful word!
3. Keep your computer firewall ON all the time
Some anti-virus software packages include a firewall. If the
operating system you are using is Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack
2 (SP2) or Macintosh OS X, then it has a built-in firewall.
Usually, the firewall is off when the computer is
shipped to you. Make certain to read
instructions on how to turn on the firewall. |
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4. Turn on the automatic software updates feature
Turn on the automatic updates feature of your anti-virus,
anti-spyware, OS, and firewall to stay current. This is a good
online computer security measure. It's important that you have the
most current protection.
Hackers search on the internet for computers that are either
unprotected or don't have the latest protection features. They can
hack into your computer and install software. This will enable them
to steal login details of your online bank accounts, other
membership sites like Ebay, Paypal etc. and also send Spam emails
that appear to originate from your computer.
Sending Spam emails that appear to originate from your email address
can result in your account being revoked!
5. Store your computer information safely
Storing your computer information safely can help the technician who
is fixing/ restoring your computer. For example, on Windows, Click
Start and then choose Run. This will bring up a small window.
Type msinfo32 without the quotes. This will bring up a system
window. In this widow, choose the file menu and then Export. Export
your system information on to a CD.
Similarly, for other operating systems, search on Google.com for
information on storing the system information on a CD.
6. Backup important files
It's important to back up critical files. Determine what you would
do to restore your computer if it has been attacked. Pretend that
your computer file system has been corrupted and then determine
steps you would take to restore. You will realize that having a
backup can make things easier for you.
7. Protect your personal information
If you are asked to give out personal information like your phone
number, address, SSN, identification numbers, etc. on the internet,
use extreme caution.
Find out exactly why and how they will be used. If there is a link
in your email that asks you to login by clicking on the link, then
dont!
Usually genuine emails dont ask you to login directly by clicking a
link. If you want to login to your membership accounts, always open
a new browser and then type the URL of the website (to login to
Paypal account, type paypal.com on the new browser instead of
clicking on the link from an email that is asking you to login.).
If you are giving out credit card information, then the page that
accepts credit card information must have secure encryption. The URL
usually begins with https instead of the regular http. If you right
click and select properties, the Connection section should
read something like 128 bit encryption (High) and also must have
1024 bit exchange.
Following these 7 steps to online computer security can protect you
and your computer from online attacks.
... Richard Rossbauer |