Episode 1 - Protecting Yourself On The Internet

For the first few episodes until there are some listener questions I will pick a subject that I get asked a lot about by my customers. This week I have chosen “How To Protect Yourself On The Internet.”

It is estimated that of the 600 million computers currently on the internet, somewhere between 100 and 150 million could be infected with malware.

Here are some things we can do to protect ourselves online:

Update security patches for your operating system and web browser.

Probably the most important step in protecting your computer is to make sure your operating system is up to date. The easiest way to do this is by turning on automatic updates.

Microsoft patches security vulnerabilities on the second Tuesday of each month. In extreme cases they will push a patch outside of this schedule.

For Windows users, an easy way to update your system is by clicking on the Windows Update option under the Start menu or by pointing your web browser to this link: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/.

Use anti-virus software.

Malware such as viruses and spyware can damage your computer. Some are also designed to steal your identity by installing a key logger, a program that captures every keystroke and emails them back to the mothership.

Having anti-virus software installed is critical for your computers security.  There are many anti-virus solutions out there. Microsoft recently released their software called Security Essentials which can be downloaded for free. Another of the most popular av programs is AVG, which is available in both free and paid versions.

Be wary of e-mail attachments and links in emails.

The most common point of infection is email. Attachments can contain malware. It's best not to open any attachment that you are not expecting.

More and more users are being infected just by visiting a website. Because of this I recommend never clicking a link in an email. A clever hacker can have a link take you to any website he wants. Instead, copy the link and paste it into your browsers address bar.

Ignore spam.

As annoying as it is to get spam, the last thing you want to do is click the unsubscribe link. Spammers send these messages out to hundreds of thousands of addresses. If you click the unsubscribe link, it only confirms that this email address actually belongs to a person. The best thing to do is just delete it. If you are using a webmail provider such as Gmail, you can report the message as spam.

Don't Respond to Emails Requesting Personal Information.

Identity thieves often send emails that appear to be from your bank or Paypal or some other large company that will ask you to confirm your personal information. A legitimate business would never send an email requesting personal information.

Don't enter personal information into a website that doesn't begin with https.

The S stands for secure! Any information transferred over this connection is encrypted and is much harder to be stolen. (although not impossible) You should also see a picture of a padlock in the address or status bar.

Be Careful What You Download.

Beware of “free” screen savers or mouse cursors! Fraudsters often hide malware inside other programs. Only download from a trusted source and scan the file for viruses before running it.

Be Smart About Your Password.

A weak password such as “password” or “123456” is one of the easiest ways to have your personal information stolen. A strong password should contain a combination of numbers, letters (both upper case and lower case), punctuation, and special characters. Do not store your passwords on your computer and if you need to write them down, keep them somewhere secure.

Use Extra Caution with Wireless Connections.

Wireless networks do not provide as much security as wired Internet connections. In fact, many "hotspots" (wireless networks in public areas like airports, hotels and restaurants) reduce their security so it's easier for users to access and use these wireless networks. If you need to connect to a public hotspot, it's best not to do any sort of online banking or credit card transactions.

On the next episode I will cover backing up your data.

Please send your questions to questions@thegeekdownthestreet.com