Posted by: venom

There are many horror stories available about the Internet being used for fraud, stalking and even crime. Although the Internet is brought about tremendous improvement in many people’s lives, there are a small group of people that use it as a means for their bad intentions. However, there are a few simple steps that we can take to protect ourselves online. 

Firstly, we should always be wary about giving our personal information away. In some cases, this may be unavoidable. As such, we should check and consider a few things before giving our personal information: 

1. Is the website reputable? 

2. Is the website backed by a reputable brick and mortar business? 

3. Is it really necessary to provide the information? 

4. Check with other users to get their feedback. 

If you feel uncomfortable about the website, don’t provide your personal information. Unless proven otherwise, go with your instincts. Our first instincts are normally correct. 

Secondly, use protective software on your computer. You’ll at least need good anti-virus, spyware and firewall software to protect your computer from external intrusions. There are even free and good software available for use. Besides installing these software, make sure you update you operating system regularly with the latest patches. Also, since you would mostly connect to the Internet using your web browser, make sure you also update your web browser with the latest patches. 

Thirdly, use proper passwords that are difficult to guess and break. Do no use passwords like “John” or “Computer” which are proper nouns or dictionary words. Use a combination of alphabets (both uppercase and lowercase) and numerics. Also, try to make your password at least 8 characters long. Besides creating a proper password, do not write your password in places where the public can get to it - for example in your notebook or in a file. If you are using a public computer, never let the computer software store your password locally. 

Finally, always backup your important files. Even though you take every precaution, there is always a chance that some loop-hole exists that allows someone to crash or corrupt your computer (forcing you to reinstall your computer). Having a proper backup will save you a lot of headaches and worries. After you perform a backup, make sure you store the backup media in a safe and secure location. Check your backup media regularly to make sure that your backup is still valid. 

The above are a few simple things that you can do to make your online experience more secure. The little effort will go a long way in giving you a positive experience. Good luck!