A few tips for online safety >> Scott Klarr

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A few tips for online safety

Posted By Scott Klarr on Feb 03, 2008 at 1:31 am

During the recent Anti-Spyware Coalition conference in Washington, a fairly grim outlook on combating the spyware problem emerged with some appropriate reminders on how to keep your personal and financial information safe online.

The panel of leading computer safety experts and security software pioneers all agreed that the hackers, rogue programmers and criminals were getting better an acknowledgement that was not sitting well with their other consensus: Computer users themselves share part of the blame when their pcs get infected with Trojans, viruses and other destructive computer-borne bugs.

A representative with Lavasoft said she often encounters computer users employing anti-virus software that is several years old. Compounding the problem, she says, is the large numbers of computer owners that stubbornly refuse to upgrade to newer, more secure pc operating platforms.

As savvy consumers who use computers for work and for play, lets all work to keep our personal and financial information safe online. Two defense must-haves for any computer is a firewall and an up-to-date and comprehensive anti-virus software program. Dozens of software programs from companies including Panda, Kaspersky and Avast (along with the better known Norton and McAfee programs) are key to keeping your information safe.

Its also a good idea to follow the Lavasoft spokespersons advice and keep your pc/software as updated as possible. Along with safer operating systems and strong software protection, common sense will be one of toughest barriers for a malicious program to crack:

Avoid opening Emails with attachments from people you dont know.
Be extremely cautious when clicking on a link in unsolicited Emails.
Learn how to spot phishing and spoof website scams when they come your way.

Remember that one of the easiest ways for a Trojan or spyware to get into your pc is by invitation as it piggybacks on files downloaded from illegal music and software downloads.

Another bit of online safety advice; Be wary of posting private photos, videos or personal information on sites like MySpace, Facebook and other popular social networking sites. Even if you set your profile to private, its not really private at all.

A good rule of thumb for how much to share online: Dont post anything you wouldnt want your mother, your neighbor, employer or minister to see or read.