The Internet: A New World with a Road Map of Its Own - Page 2
Beware of “Phishing” & Malicious Software
One common scam to watch for is calling “phishing.” These are phony emails that appear to come from banks, insurance companies and other legitimate organizations that take you to what appears to be a legitimate website. Often they tell you that there has been a security breach and that you need to re-enter your user name, password or other information - possibly even including credit card numbers or your social security number. If you get such an email - even if you think it might be legitimate - don't click on any links. If it is a business or organization that you have a relationship with, either call them or go to their website directly by typing in its address (URL) rather than clicking on a link in the email. You can learn more in this article from the staysafe.org toolbox.
A lot of people get in trouble by not being careful enough with passwords. Never give out your passwords to anyone (except possibly trusted family members) and be sure you have a password that is difficult to guess but easy for you to remember. Don't use the names of friends, family or pets, the name of your street or anything else that might be easy to guess. One trick is to make up an easy to remember sentence and use the first letter of each word and relevant numbers. For example, “I was married in St. Louis in 79” could result in the hard to guess but easy to remember password: IwmiSLi79. Not only is that meaningless to most people, it also contains upper and lower case letters as well as numbers, making it a pretty secure password.
It's also important to protect your computer against viruses, “spyware” and other malicious software. These are programs that are designed to either damage your computer or - worse - jeopardize your privacy and security by passing personal information to a party who might use it to victimize you. Fortunately there are programs on the market that can help to immunize your computer against these attacks. Leading makers of security software include McAfee, Symantec, ZoneAlarm, TrendMicro and Microsoft. To be reasonably secure you should have software that projects you against viruses, spyware and hackers. Some programs protect against all three but others do not. You can learn more about protecting your PC here, viruses & worms here and spyware here.
It's also very important to be sure you're dealing with legitimate merchants when shopping online. It's best to deal with companies you know. Pay using credit cards or secure payment systems like Paypal. Never pay with cash or by wiring money. Before entering a credit card, make sure there is a small lock in the lower right corner of the browser which indicates that it's a secure site. While you might be asked for your credit card expiration date and a security code (usually on the back of the card) and your street address, you shouldn't be asked for a social security number with a few exceptions such as applying for a financial account (such as an online bank or brokerage account) or purchasing your credit score. When in doubt, call the company on the phone. If you decide to purchase from an online auction, be sure to read the ratings of the merchants and the terms of service and safety policies of the auction site itself.
Remember, most people who use the Internet do so safely without becoming a victim but to assure your safety you do have to use common sense and follow some basic guidelines.
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