Whether you’re buying those cute pair of shoes you wanted, surfing the web for your favorite band, or installing a program on your computer, your activity on the internet may not be secure. It is important that you safeguard yourself online, and that you are monitoring your activities.
Being careful online may be the key to keeping your life personal, and out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have it. The class that I am taking, Principles of Computer Security has shown me several ways to help protect myself while browsing the internet. Through a great amount of research online, and through the information I have gathered from my textbooks and lectures, I would like to explain some of the most important ways to stay safe on your computer. Technology is now a part of our world, and all of the things we use this technology for connect to your life is some way.
On Your Computer
COMMON SENSE- Common sense is key when using the computer. If you don’t want people knowing your information, then don’t put it on the web! For example, a friend of mine who uses Facebook thought it was okay to post her phone number on another friends wall. Days later she was receiving phone calls from people she doesn’t know. This may seem like common
A password is required for a reason. Not so everyone can figure it out- It’s simple. Don’t make your password “password” or “ilovederek” (which is your husband’s name), or “Jessica” (which is your name). Try something like SunSet0825. That’s easy for you to remember because your first date with your husband was on August 25th, and you watched the sun set. However it’s very trick for others to guess because it involved Capital letters, lowercase letters, and also numbers. Also, it is very irrelevant to anyone but you.
“Educate yourself by visiting such sites as bizrate.com and epinions.com to find out details about e-stores’ policies and procedures.”- By looking at the company’s website you can find out exactly what their security system involved, if deep packet inspection is involved, or if other ways of tracking your behaviors online are involved. If you’re not pleased, don’t shop there. Also, “Click with caution. Read a website’s privacy policy, look for opportunities to opt out of information sharing and only enter personal information on secure web pages with “https” in the address bar and a padlock symbol at the bottom of the browser window.”
Cookies, History, and Cache- Clear your cookies, history and cache once in a while. Not only will it help keep you safer, but it will keep your computer cleaner and probably make it run faster if it is not something you do frequently.
Be careful when supplying your credit card information- Last week, after reading my textbook I went to Annualcreditreport.com to check my credit and make sure everything was as expected. There was a week free trial, and after the week there is a $19.99 monthly fee. I of course called the company and told them I had wished to cancel my trial and that I want my credit card to be linked to them in any way. The woman insured me that I wasn’t going to be charged. Needless to say, a week later I had just received a $19.99 withdrawal from my checking account. Now I am having trouble contacting to company to reverse this charge and prevent being billed in the future. I have learned the hard way that I need to be careful about who I am giving my information to. From now on I will only be making purchases online that are necessary and verified. I just began searching them online and saw that many other people have had the same problem. If I would have been smart and researched this website a bit more before supplying my credit card I wouldn’t have such a problem. Click here to see the reviews I have read about this company.
“Never forget: If the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.”- Last night I got an email stating “Jessica, you have won $1,500! Claim your award now!” It’s no surprise it was in my spam folder. I personally receive about 100 spam emails a day and am sure not to open anything that looks too good to be true.
At home
MORE COMMON SENSE- Yes, common sense is probably the number one form of security. If you use your common sense it will save you a lot of hassle. Not only online do you need to have common sense, but also in your life. Do not provide anybody with personal information. If it is not their business to know, and they don’t have a legal reason to obtain your information, DON’T give it.
Protect yourself, and your identity- Since I was about 16 I have always carried my social security card in my wallet. My mother has always stressed how important it is to carry it. However, I have recently learned that this is in fact a horrible idea. If I were to lose my wallet, or have it stolen, not only would my debit card, license, and school identification be in someone else’s hands, but so would my social security number. With all of this information a criminal could easily steal my identity.
Keep track of bank accounts, and monitor your activity- You will never realize there is a problem if you are not up to date with your accounts. Make sure your bank accounts show transactions made by you! If they don’t look familiar, do something immediately. If I wasn’t careful, I wouldn’t have noticed a $2,800 charge on my credit card when I traveled to Jamaica last month. Luckily, I immediately called my bank and told them that Sandals actually charged me twice. I filed a dispute and received my money back in no time.
SHRED, SHRED, SHRED!- How many documents to you get mailed to you every week that contains personal information? On average, I probably receive about 10. Make sure to shred these documents before throwing them out. I have been guilty of not doing this in the past but I have recently gone out of my way to do this more than ever. Before, it would be easy for someone to dig up information about me in my garbage can. I am investing in a shredder, but until them I cut up these papers and toss them in with the kitty litter garbage bag. This is a great idea because it isn’t very likely that a criminal would dig through your cat’s litter to get your torn up information.
Some advice from a fourth grader on internet safety-
Some advice from a fourth grader on internet safety-
And also a video I found relative and interesting-
Whatever you do, stay safe. Take precautionary measures. In the end, it will definitely be worth it. I have been taught some of these tools to stay safe, and I hope you take some of my advice to improve your safety on and offline.
http://www.complaintsboard.com/?search=freescore&everything=Everything for starters
