Skip to main content

  • Tip: Use a disposable email account

    Use 'disposable' e-mail addresses to thwart spammers. If spam's a problem, consider using disposable addresses for different purposes. For example, use "smithshopping08" for buying online. If that address starts getting spam, abandon or change it. Many ISPs provide extra "associate" e-mail addresses that you can change at will. For convenience, configure your e-mail program to check all your addresses simultaneously. Or set up disposable accounts at a free e-mail service such as Google or Yahoo. A caution: Guard the primary e-mail address you got from your ISP, because you can't change that one without abandoning your entire account.

    www.consumerreports.org/...0709_net_best.htm - Preview

    onlinesafety on 2008-09-23 and saved by 3 people

  • Tip: Using social network Sites

      • Think about how different sites work before deciding to join a site. Some sites will allow only a defined community of users to access posted
        content; others allow anyone and everyone to view postings.
      • Think about keeping some control over the information you post. Consider restricting access to your page to a select group of people, for example,
        your friends from school, your club, your team, your community groups, or your family.
      • Keep your information to yourself. Don't post your full name, Social Security number, address, phone number, or bank and credit card account
        numbers — and don't post other people's information, either.
      • Make sure your screen name doesn't say too much about you. Don't use your name, your age, or your hometown. Even if you think your screen name makes
        you anonymous, it doesn't take a genius to combine clues to figure out who you are and where you can be found.
      • Post only information that you are comfortable with others seeing — and knowing — about you. Many people can see your page, including your parents,
        your teachers, the police, the college you might want to apply to next year, or the job you might want to apply for in five years.
      • Remember that once you post information online, you can't take it back. Even if you delete the information from a site, older versions exist on other
        people's computers.
      • Consider not posting your photo. It can be altered and broadcast in ways you may not be happy about. If you do post one, ask yourself whether it's
        one your mom would display in the living room.

  • Tip: Avoid phishing

    • Visit banks' websites by typing the URL into the address bar

      Phishers often use links within emails to direct their victims to a
      spoofed site, usually to a similar address such as mybankonline.com instead of
      mybank.com. When clicked on, the URL shown in the address bar may look
      genuine, but there are several ways it can be faked, taking you to the
      spoofed site. If you suspect an email from your bank or online company is
      false, do not follow any links embedded within it.
    • Check the website you are visiting is secure

      Before submitting your bank details or other sensitive
      information there are a couple of checks you can do to
      help ensure the site uses encryption to protect your
      personal data:



      Check the web address in the address bar. If the website
      you are visiting is on a secure server it should start
      with "https://" ("s" for security) rather than the usual "http://".



      Also look for a lock icon on the browser's status bar. You
      can check the level of encryption, expressed in bits, by
      hovering over the icon with your cursor.



      Note that the fact that the website is using encryption
      doesn't necessarily mean that the website is legitimate.
      It only tells you that data is being sent in encrypted
      form.

  • Tip: Using Facebook/Myspace safely

    General safety tips for Facebook\nAdjust Facebook privacy settings to help protect your identity\nUnlike some other social networking sites, Facebook has provided some powerful options to protect you online - but it's up to you to use them!\n\nThink carefully about who you allow to become your friend\nOnce you have accepted someone as your friend they will be able to access any information about you (including photographs) that you have marked as viewable by your friends. You can remove friends at any time should you change your mind about someone.\n\nShow "limited friends" a cut-down version of your profile\nYou can choose to make people 'limited friends' who only have access to a cut-down version of your profile if you wish. This can be useful if you have associates who you do not wish to give full friend status to, or feel uncomfortable sharing personal information with.\n\nDisable options, then open them one by one\nThink about how you want to use Facebook. If it's only to keep in touch with people and be able to contact them then maybe it's better to turn off the bells and whistles. It makes a lot of sense to disable an option until you have decided you do want and need it, rather than start with everything accessible.

    www.sophos.com/...facebook.html - Preview

    onlinesafety on 2008-09-23 and saved by 50 people

1 - 4 of 4
Showing 20▼ items per page
List Comments (0)

Sponsored Links

Ads by Google