Online Security

As we attempt to attain first world status more and more individuals are embarking on the journey of surfing the Internet and as anyone who has ever gone on that ride will tell you it truly is an amazing thing. On can find information galore, make friends, find jobs, entertain oneself and communicate like never before. Over the last few years the number of households having computers and Internet access has increased dramatically with every family believing that a computer with Internet access will give their child the edge in school. There is a whole world to explore and in that world there lurk people who will attempt to hurt you in every way they can. With anything good, there is always the bad and one should always be prepared whenever one takes a journey even if it is from the comfort of your own home.

Cyber crime is at an all time high and with more people communicating and releasing personal information on the Internet it is of the utmost importance that special emphasis be placed on how to protect yourself against potential attacks. Here are a few tips to prepare you for the Internet.

1. Keep your anti-virus solution up to date. This means that you either pay to renew your subscription and set the program to automatically download the latest updates and install them on the computer for you or you can get a free program that does this for you. Please see below for a list of software vendors that are quite good.
2. Use a more secure internet browser. Most people only use Microsoft Internet Explorer because that is what comes with the computer but you should really consider using Mozilla Firefox since most internet attacks are focussed on compromising Internet Explorer.
3. Get a pop up blocker. The Google, MSN and Yahoo! tool bars all have pop up blockers as a feature.
4. Do not visit or purchase anything from a website that does not look like it is legitimate. Look for https:// in the address bar and a lock in the window indicating that the site is secure, which means that any information transmitted between you and the server will be encrypted so that no one can view it even if they were able to get it. Well that is not strictly true, a very persistent hacker could take years to crack the code but it is possible so just be aware of that. Make sure the site has a security seal from a site such as Verisign, Comodo, HackerSafe, TrustE etc. These sites ensure that the site you are visiting is really owned by a legitimate company and usually insure your transactions.
5. If you are using a cyber cafe or other shared computer ALWAYS log out of the sites that you visit, even if you are just checking email and clear the internet cache, cookies and the history. Ask the attendant if you do not know how to do it.
6. Do not open email from people you do not know.
   
7. Do not open attachments in emails from people you do not know.
8. Make sure that your email is scanned by your anti-virus program before you open a message.
9. There has been a new scam called "phishing" where crooks will send an email seemingly from a company that you know (say your bank) and make the message look just like the one you would get from the company asking you for personal information. When you click on the link you are taken to a site that looks just like the company you know but it really is not. Just remember, no company should ever ask you for personal information. If you get a message asking for information, go to the company's website (by typing in the URL into the browser), find the contact us link and send a message asking if they sent the initial message. It would most likely be that they did not but it never hurt to find out.
10. Do not EVER click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of junk email since you will just be letting the spammer know that your email address is valid and someone is using it.

The internet really is a wonderful tool but one has to be careful always. The only sure thing is vigilance. Always pay attention to what you are doing and where you are. Do not take anything for granted. As we rely more and more on computers there will be people who will attempt to undermine everything that we do. So enjoy your journey but always pay attention!



Software List:
Anti-Virus:

1. Norton Anti-Virus - the grand daddy of them all. A bit on the pricey side but worth the money.
2. McAfee Anti-Virus - Another paid for service but very good.
3. AVG Anti-Virus - You can get a paid version or a free version if you use it for personal use. i.e. if you use it on your home computer you can use it for free.
4. ClamWin AV - Free open source anti-virus program for windows based computers

Anti-Spyware:

1. CounterSpy - The best at real time protection for your computer.
   
2. Microsoft Live Defender - It is the same as CounterSpy at its core but adds a few other features.

Spyware Removal:

1. AdAware - One of the very best tools around
2. Spybot Search & Destroy - Used in tandem with AdAware for best results
3. HijackThis! - Excellent at removing programs that take over your browser.