The internet is a staple in many people's everyday lives. It is a
great place full of wonderful information, but it is also full of many
dangers. The price of banking, shopping, and interacting online might be
your personal information. To stay safe on the internet, use the
following strategies.
Internet Safety Cheat Sheet
EditPart 1 of 2: Protecting Your Identity
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1
Choose strong passwords. Passwords are like the key
to your accounts - only the person with the key can access them. When
choosing a password, you want to make sure you choose one that is
unique, strong, and not easily guessed by strangers or those close to
you. Choose a password that uses letters, numbers, lowercase, uppercase,
and characters.
- Choosing password or 1234 is lazy - and easily
guessable. Choosing birthdays of those close to you (or yourself) is
probably also not safe. The longer your password is, the harder it will
be to guess. Also try leaving out letters, or substituting numbers for
letters.
- Try passwords that reference phrases or things significant only to
you. For example, if the name of your beloved childhood goldfish was Sir
Bubbles, swap out some of the letters for numbers and you can end up
with a very nice password like s1rbubb735 that only you understand.
- Make sure to choose passwords that are easily remembered or write
them down. If you write down your passwords, don't leave them in plain
sight. Don't keep them on your computer desk by your computer.
- Never use the same password for different accounts. If you don’t
want to come up with and keep track of dozens of different passwords,
come up with a base password (ex. s1rbubb735) and tack a logical modifier onto it for each account. For example, on Amazon, use amzns1rbubb735; on Gmail, use gmails1rbubb735 or for Twitter twitts1rbubb735.
- It is good practice to change your password every few months.
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-
2
Be mindful when installing programs or agreeing to terms.
When you sign up for newsletters, install programs, or agree to
anything, read the fine print. If you do not want to receive junk mail
or get put on a telemarketer list, look for a small box near the bottom
of the page that asks if you want to receive information and offers from
other companies. The best sites will have a statement listed that they
will not sell your name to other companies (though they may still send
you e-mails themselves).
- Many of these websites can put adware on your computer that tracks
your movements and browser habits. Use caution when you come upon those
kinds of websites.
- Some sites require you to give all your information to get the
product. Only fill in required fields that are marked with an asterisk
(*). If the info box does not have an asterisk, it is optional and you
can leave it blank.
-
3
Do not give out personal details to strangers. Don't
give your full name, address, or phone number to anyone online that you
don't trust or know. This is especially important in chat rooms, when
negotiating jobs or deals, or making plans through meet-up sites.
- Be careful when making friends on the internet. Many great
friendships can be cultivated through social media, but there are many
people who pretend to be someone they are not.
- Practice caution when dating online.
Use only your first name, and never give out specific personal details,
no matter how great the other person seems. Don't give money to people
you have met online. When you finally decide to meet, always meet in
busy public places, like a restaurant or coffee shop. Let other people
know where you are going, and never let them pick you up or go back to
their place.
- Giving personal details to strangers not only compromises your
accounts and identity, but your physical safety as well. While most
people on the internet may be benign and friendly, you have to be aware
of the possibility of people using chat rooms, social media, and other
websites to collect information that could lead to physical harm at your
place of employment or at home.
- Always check the legitimacy of websites when you shop. If the site
has a horrible design or pop ups, it might not be legitimate. Beware of
sites that don't allow you to pay through things like PayPal or with a
credit card. When shopping on sites like Craigslist, practice caution.
-
4
Don't fall prey to phishing scams. Phishing e-mails
are messages that appear to be from legitimate companies, such as your
bank or stores where you've shopped, that provide links to fake websites
and ask for personal information.
- Always look at the e-mail address. Many senders of online scam
e-mails won't have addresses that match the company they claim to
represent. Or the address will be altered slightly so that it might not
catch the eye of an unmindful person.
- Beware of phishing e-mail scams
claiming to be from eBay, PayPal, a bank, or a company you trust asking
for personal or sensitive information. The e-mail may inform you that
there is a problem with your account and/or password. There may be a
link to click inside. If you get an e-mail like this, don't click on the
link. Go directly to the website by typing the URL into your browser.
- Hover your mouse over suspicious links. At the bottom of your
screen, you should see the true URL for the website. Many phishing
websites will show a different website in the bottom of your browser or
beside your mouse when you hover over the link.
- Forward any of suspicious e-mails to the company it claims to be
sent from. They will confirm whether the e-mail you received was real or
not.
- E-mail programs like Yahoo!, MSN, Hotmail and Gmail will never ask you for your e-mail password. Don't fall for it and give away your password.
-
5
Keep your eyes peeled for online scams. Online scams
crop up everywhere. These scams can pop up in e-mails, tweets, Facebook
posts, and many other places. Don't click on links that don't look like
a real address or contains a lot of letters and characters that look
like gibberish.
- Never click on pop-ups or e-mails that claim you have won millions of dollars. These are scams.
- Don't fall prey to e-mails inviting you to play foreign lotteries.Also beware of e-mails which ask you to help someone transfer large
sums of money or inheritances out of their country after giving you a
long sad story.
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6
Limit the information you share on social media.
Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other social media
sites are part of most people's every day lives. On Facebook, people
post their maiden names, their parents' names, their birthdays, the
birthdays of their children, their hometowns, their home address, their
home and cell phone numbers, along with myriad other personal
information. This information gives anyone with a computer just about
every essential piece of information about you. Limit what you share online to protect your identity and privacy.
- Sharing too many details on social media sites can put you in
physical danger as well. Letting the internet know where you live and
when you will not be at home may lead to someone breaking into your
house - especially when they see all the photos of your new TV,
computers, and jewelry. Too many personal details, like your home
address, phone number, and daily whereabouts and habits, gives stalkers
plenty of information to use against you.
- Many secure sites, like banking, insurance, loan, and school
websites, require security questions. These questions include: "What is
your mother's maiden name?", "What is your paternal grandmother/father's
name?", "What town did you grow up in?", or "What is your father's
birthday?" These answers can be found easily on some people's Facebook
pages.
- Sharing this kind of information can result in
- When choosing security questions, don't choose ones that have
answers easily discovered on social media. Choose harder questions only
you know the answer to.
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7
Have multiple e-mail accounts. It's best to have
three accounts. Multiple e-mails help you separate different aspects of
your life, gives you official and non-official addresses, and can help
you cut down on spam and privacy issues.
- Have a business e-mail to use for any job-related correspondence.
Many times, these are given to your through your place of employment.
- Have a main personal e-mail address. You can use this one for
banking, job hunting, insurance, and other official and personal
correspondence. This website can also be given to close friends and
family members.
- Have a junk e-mail. This e-mail can be the one you use to sign up
for things on the internet or at stores, restaurants, or other places
you might not want to have your main personal address. You can also use
this e-mail on social media sites. If spam comes to this e-mail, it
won't affect your daily, main personal e-mail or your business e-mail.
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EditPart 2 of 2: Protecting Your Connection
-
1
Use an anti-virus program, an anti-spyware program, and a firewall.
Surfing the internet without these things is unsafe and invites spam,
hackers, and viruses onto your computer. Having these safeguards on your
computers protects you from things you might not even realize are
threats. Make sure to keep them updated to catch the latest threats.
- Trojans, spyware, malware, and viruses can not only make you
vulnerable to identity theft and invasions of privacy, but they also can
significantly bog down your computer and slow your processor.
Anti-virus programs and anti-spyware programs protect your devices from
these computer diseases, keeping your system healthy. There are many
different programs available to purchase, but there are also many
available for free online.
- A firewall is hardware or software that creates a barrier between
your network and the outside cyber world, allowing only certain data to
cross.You can use either the firewall that comes standard with your operating
system or a third-party software program to your liking.
-
2
Secure your wireless router. Many homes have wireless networks that connect computers, mobile devices, tablets, and gaming systems. Having a
wireless network is convenient, but also can leave your devices and information vulnerable.
- Change the name of your router from the default. This name needs to
be something unique to you that can't be easily guessed by others.
- Choose a strong password for your router, something not easily
guessed by others. Use the same guidelines to choose a password you
would for any protected online site.
- Choose WPA2 or WPA security options for your router. They are more secure than WEP.
- Disable guest log in if your router has it. If you want to let
friends use your wi-fi, but don't want to give them your password, set
up a unique, strong guest password.[14]
-
3
Turn off file sharing and network discovery when using a public wireless network. These both put your files and system at risk for being opened by
anyone
on the wireless network, not just hackers. If you are within range of
public wireless networks but don’t need to be online, turn off your
wireless capabilities altogether.
- In Windows, these options can be found under Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center.
- In Mac OS X, they are under System Preferences > Sharing.
- On some devices, there is simply an on/off switch for wireless; on
others, you will need to configure this yourself (ex. on a Mac, click
the Wi-Fi icon and turn off AirPort).
-
4
Always check for secure transaction info. The best
companies will have many security devices in place. You may see a gold
lock at the bottom of the page to indicate a secure site. When giving
any bank details or other information, make sure the connection is
secure.
- Secure URLs begin with https:// instead of http://. This means the transmission is encrypted to and from the web server.
- Even if the connection is secure, still be mindful of what sites you
are using. Not every site which runs HTTPS or accepts payments is
trustworthy, even if the connection is. If you don't know anything about
the site, do research first.
-
5
Download files from trusted sources. When downloading
files or software, only download from sites that have been rated or
verified by trusted sources. Choose downloading resources that are
upfront about price and ratings and vet their downloads (ex.
download.cnet.com).
- Beware of extra downloads. Sometimes when you download free
software, like a game, an app, or even a browser, the download link
contains browser toolbars and other unwanted add ons. When downloading a
free program, always choose "custom installation." This allows you to
unclick additional programs to install, like toolbars and add ons.
Uncheck or deselect anything unfamiliar the site wants to download onto
your computer.[16]
- When in doubt, google the name of the site or download along with the word “scam” to see if you get any hits.
- Do not download illegal copyrighted material without paying for it.
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6
Do not open e-mail attachments. Unless you know that a
friend is sending you a .doc, .pdf, or other file to view, don't open
the attachment. Some junk e-mails may contain viruses or spyware that
can harm your computer. These e-mails may be automatically marked as
"spam" or "junk," but virus-ridden emails from unwitting friends can
also slip through.
- Avoid e-mails with file attachments ending in ".exe" extensions.
- If you use an email program like Outlook or Thunderbird, you can
disable attachment previews. These take away your ability to decide
whether or not to open an attachment. Look through your email program’s
settings and disable options such as Show Attachment Previews, Display Attachments Inline, etc.
Source : http://www.wikihow.com
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1Choose strong passwords. Passwords are like the key to your accounts - only the person with the key can access them. When choosing a password, you want to make sure you choose one that is unique, strong, and not easily guessed by strangers or those close to you. Choose a password that uses letters, numbers, lowercase, uppercase, and characters.
2Be mindful when installing programs or agreeing to terms. When you sign up for newsletters, install programs, or agree to anything, read the fine print. If you do not want to receive junk mail or get put on a telemarketer list, look for a small box near the bottom of the page that asks if you want to receive information and offers from other companies. The best sites will have a statement listed that they will not sell your name to other companies (though they may still send you e-mails themselves).
3Do not give out personal details to strangers. Don't give your full name, address, or phone number to anyone online that you don't trust or know. This is especially important in chat rooms, when negotiating jobs or deals, or making plans through meet-up sites.
4Don't fall prey to phishing scams. Phishing e-mails are messages that appear to be from legitimate companies, such as your bank or stores where you've shopped, that provide links to fake websites and ask for personal information.
5Keep your eyes peeled for online scams. Online scams crop up everywhere. These scams can pop up in e-mails, tweets, Facebook posts, and many other places. Don't click on links that don't look like a real address or contains a lot of letters and characters that look like gibberish.
6Limit the information you share on social media. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other social media sites are part of most people's every day lives. On Facebook, people post their maiden names, their parents' names, their birthdays, the birthdays of their children, their hometowns, their home address, their home and cell phone numbers, along with myriad other personal information. This information gives anyone with a computer just about every essential piece of information about you. Limit what you share online to protect your identity and privacy.
7Have multiple e-mail accounts. It's best to have three accounts. Multiple e-mails help you separate different aspects of your life, gives you official and non-official addresses, and can help you cut down on spam and privacy issues.
1Use an anti-virus program, an anti-spyware program, and a firewall. Surfing the internet without these things is unsafe and invites spam, hackers, and viruses onto your computer. Having these safeguards on your computers protects you from things you might not even realize are threats. Make sure to keep them updated to catch the latest threats.
2Secure your wireless router. Many homes have wireless networks that connect computers, mobile devices, tablets, and gaming systems. Having a wireless network is convenient, but also can leave your devices and information vulnerable.
3Turn off file sharing and network discovery when using a public wireless network. These both put your files and system at risk for being opened by anyone on the wireless network, not just hackers. If you are within range of public wireless networks but don’t need to be online, turn off your wireless capabilities altogether.
4Always check for secure transaction info. The best companies will have many security devices in place. You may see a gold lock at the bottom of the page to indicate a secure site. When giving any bank details or other information, make sure the connection is secure.
5Download files from trusted sources. When downloading files or software, only download from sites that have been rated or verified by trusted sources. Choose downloading resources that are upfront about price and ratings and vet their downloads (ex. download.cnet.com).
6Do not open e-mail attachments. Unless you know that a friend is sending you a .doc, .pdf, or other file to view, don't open the attachment. Some junk e-mails may contain viruses or spyware that can harm your computer. These e-mails may be automatically marked as "spam" or "junk," but virus-ridden emails from unwitting friends can also slip through.
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