Simple DOs and DON’Ts For Your Security

While you start playing with internet, the next important thing is your security. One should take serious steps for his/her security while using internet as people are scamming everywhere. Following are some DOs and DON'Ts tips to be secured.

1. Never click on links in emails, unless you are either expecting them

or know for sure they are what they appear to be. When you see a link in

your email hover your mouse pointer over it and make sure the address

matches up to what you see in your email. Many phishing emails appear to be from A but when clicked on they take you to B, so B-ware.

2. Look out for dodgy PayPal links in your email. I don’t even trust genuine PayPal emails anymore. Phishing scams have become so sophisticated that people will send you emails that look identical to genuine PayPal emails and can trick the untrained eye into sending cash to scammers. One way to decipher the real from the fake is by looking at the address of the email. When you get one from PayPal it will be from the paypal.com domain and not offshoreaccountants.ng.

3. Don’t use file sharing programs to download software. Apps like Kazaa, limewire etc host a myriad of infected and dangerous software just waiting to enter your PC. PC software is not too expensive, and a lot of the more useful programs are often free and open-source. So there’s really no need to be using these programs. You just don’t know what you’re getting. Not to mention that you should be paying for the software you use.

4. Beware of links in Instant Messenger clients like Yahoo Messenger, Steam, Windows Live, Skype etc. Just like the email you can never be sure where these links will take you. Often you will click on a link that takes you to a website that looks like one thing but beneath the surface it is running a script and infecting your PC. Be very careful of this and only visit sites that you know and trust. Also never accept a friend invitation from someone unless you know who they are.

5. If a website asks you to install something, get out of there unless you’re sure it’s a genuine plugin like Quicktime, Flash or Silverlight. But even then just go to the official sites and get them from there – you really cannot be too careful. Browsers like FIrefox and Chrome have a good line of defense against this sort of thing, but if you willingly ignore a site’s warning about software installations you let down your

guard. Be vigilant, your browser can only do so much to protect you.

6. Leave Windows update on. Without this option you might as well throw in the towel. A system’s ability to defend itself from internet threats is only as good as the user’s diligence and how up-to-date your machine is. I know it can be annoying when the Windows Update icon appears in the taskbar, especially when you’re in the middle of something. But frankly I’d take that interruption over my credit card info being stolen, or my

computer completely compromised by an internet thief. In the world of internet security, a few comforts need to be sacrificed and Windows  Updates is too important to ignore in this day and age. Do so at your

own peril.