Every day new and newer threats appear on the Internet. While our parents had to only worry about Virus infections, we have to face a whole new bunch of issues like Phishing, Identity Thefts, Tabnabbing, etc. While Windows 7 is secure and when fortified by a good security software to protect it, chances of being infected are near nil – nowadays in many cases user intervention is asked for and we inadvertently end up clicking a ‘Yes – resulting in a malware infection’.
Here are some simple yet effective tips that everyone should take care of while surfing the net.
1) First and foremost, always use a reputed and known security software and firewall and don’t fall for fake security solutions. Among free anti virus software, I recommend using Microsoft Security Essentials which is light on resources and its engine is based on the award winning Forefront Corporate Security. Also always make sure that your software are up to date especially your operating system, security software and browser. If you want a security suite, you can check out Comodo, which is also free.
2) Always use caution while giving your email IDs to other sites (or people). These sites could spam you or even sell the email list to third part that can spam you. Always read their privacy statement first. If you can’t find one, then that’s another reason not to give them your email address.
3) Use strong passwords. Don’t use your name or simply the word ‘password’ or something that people can easily guess such as your date of birth. Hackers now use a method called social engineering which basically means that they stalk a user online by using Facebook etc. to find important details about them and try to figure out the password using those details. The best method is to use a non-dictionary word that is a combination of upper case and lower case letters with digits. Do not use the same password for all of your accounts. Otherwise if a hacker is able to guess the password of one of your accounts, the rest of your accounts will also be compromised.
4) Never click on anything you didn’t ask for. This could be the trigger or the requested human intervention asked for by the malware to set foot on your computer. A simple rule to follow: If in doubt – don’t!
5) Be cautious of whom you befriend on social networks like Facebook, and do take time to understand its privacy settings so that you know what you are sharing with others. Check out this guide I wrote on how to safeguard your Facebook account.
6) Don’t download pirated stuff such as movies, programs, cracks etc. from torrents. That is not only illegal but the number one source for Trojans and other malware that could potentially harm your computer.
7) You can also download a ‘good’ Hosts file from mvps.org and replace your original hosts file situated in C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc with this one and then lock it or make it a read-only file. Alternatively, you can add suspect URLs to the Internet Explorer’s Restricted, Trusted and Intranet Zones. You can read more about that here.
Following these tips and using some common sense while surfing, will definitely improve your chances of staying safe online.
These safety tips may also interest you:
- PayPal Login Tips
- Hotmail Sign In
- Gmail Sign In
- Yahoo Sign In
- Facebook Sign In
- Twitter Sign In help
- Skype Login.
If you have any questions or need assistance, you can always visit our TWC Security Forums.
Have any more tip? Please do share below for the benefit of all.
