10 MOST IMPORTANT WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR WEB EXPERIENCE FROM HACKERS, PHISHERS AND THIEVES

My own 70 something year old Mother’s favorite hobby is being online, so I often think hard as I write articles like this one.  It is never my intention to frighten people but solely to inform.  Make no mistake, however, the risks we face on the web are real and to soft pedal that fact is a disservice to you, dear reader. 

The good news is that the solutions we need are readily available and many are FREE.  The fact that they work (along with some vigilance on your part) has been proven over and over again. 

So, before I launch into what to do and why the bottom line is this:  Secure your computer, your personal information, and your family against online threats and you will have a positive experience online always.

The following are ten things you can do to assure a safe and happy online experience for you and your family every day. 

1. This is a fact: If you don't install strong security programs, your computer's performance and your personal information are at serious risk. Anti-virus software (including Anti-spyware, anti-virus, and anti-Trojan horse software with regular updates) are a must if you spend any time online.  Install and set the software to run in the background of every online activity to provide consistent protection for everyone who uses the computer in your home.  In fact, if you have access to two programs, it doesn't hurt to double up. Some programs will detect intruders that others may not. It is the “Great Race” between anti-virus software companies to find and solve intrusion problems first.

2. Install a firewall. A firewall usually comes with your security software package.  It is your first line of defense against online hackers. It hides your computer from hackers looking for vulnerable targets while it monitors the data passed between your computer and the Internet. When the program spots suspicious inbound or outbound data, it either filters out questionable packets of information or disallows the connection entirely.  Install one on your computer and Internet access point today if you haven't already.  Make note that some high speed internet cable providers may even provide this software to you with your subscription.  Comcast operates where I live and my McAfee comes from them.

3. Update your software regularly. Hackers work night and day to develop new methods to crack your system. Even the best and newest security software can be compromised if you don't update their protection against emerging threats. Set your operating system (Windows, Windows XP, Vista, etc. and your security software to check for updates automatically, then authorize the updates without delay. If you set your system to download and install those updates regularly when you set it up – you won’t have to do much but restart your system when notified in a pop up balloon after the install.  The brief interruption required to download an update and restart your computer helps keep you a step ahead of the hackers and thieves.

4. Secure your hard drive. I know many of us think it is impossible for us to leave our laptops in a cab on the way home from the airport or on the belt at the security checkpoint at the airport – but hundreds of people are proven wrong on that point daily. If your laptop (or desktop) is stolen, you might assume that thieves don't know how to search your hard drive for useful information?  That kind of confidence is an ill educated and dangerous confidence. Secure access to your hard drive with a password. Then set your system to require that password each time your computer starts up, or wakes up. 

5. Modern computers usually come with onboard system restore points that will back up a computer to where you left off the last time a system restore point was generated.  Not all have this capability and, even if they do, you will loose everything you have done from the previous restore point to the present.  So, backup your hard drive. Give yourself the security if being able to immediately pick up where you left off by backing up your hard drive. "Backing up" simply means copying the files currently on your computer's hard drive to an external source, such as a network server, storage disks, or another, portable hard drive. If your computer experiences a malfunction or a security-related problem the back up allows your files to be retrieved. Please note that having a back up only works if you are performing a back up of your system regularly. It is best to set your system to back up automatically at times of inactivity, such as late at night.

6. Secure your wireless network.  A wireless network is a wonderful thing – log on anywhere in your home and all your systems are connected wirelessly.  The wonder of wireless communication, however, comes with a biting risk. If you fair to secure your wireless router, anyone with a computer can log on to your system and steal your information.  Secure access to your WiFi network with a password to make sure that strangers are not grabbing your personal information from (literally) thin air.

7. Use effective password protocols and secure your passwords. It's an obvious but important point that security measures requiring passwords are only as secure as their passwords.  Standard industry protocol is a minimum of 7 characters including a combination of upper case, lowercase, numbers and special characters (i.e., @#$%^&*()+_)  Use this rule to create unique, secure passwords - the longer the better. Obviously, it is best to have a different password for each different function but avoid the temptation to use the same password for everything. It goes without saying that friends change, marital status changes (sometimes in the blink of an eye) so NEVER share your passwords with anyone unless you are find with “anyone” reading all your emails and monitoring all your internet activities.  And of course, never allow unauthorized persons access to your passwords.

8. Stay PRIVATE in public. The convenience of wi-fi availability in restaurants, coffee shops and hotels is becoming the norm today.  Do not, however, mistake logging on in any of these locations with being securely logged on to the net.  When you are using public wi-fi networks, never enter personal information into any computer.  If you are using a public computer (as in a library), never enter personal information or passwords into those computers. Public computers and open wireless networks are conveniences that are shared by many and patrolled little if at all.

9. Talk to your kids about internet dangers and your rules for computer use in the home.  Then, WATCH your kids to be sure they comply. Today, for the average child, there can be no greater danger then being turned loose online to any site they desire without fear of parental interruption.  Children are naieve and predators are polished in how they befriend and lure children using the internet.  Consistent parental involvement is the best protection kids have against online risks. Educate yourself and talk to your kids about proper online behavior. Limit your children’s online risks further by installing parental controls that allow you to set criteria for Internet content, programs used, time spent online, and online chat partners allowed into the child’s world online.  Keep the computer in a central family area so there is always foot traffic past assuring the child is monitored while online.

10. Maintain a healthy skepticism when online. It is often the simplest come-on, laid out to a young, naïve, inexperienced or lonely person that can result in the greatest (and most avoidable) tragedy.  The "too good to be true" job offer that costs you big money to find out that it was too good to be true; the child meeting a stranger at the local mall, the lottery win that simply emptied your checking account of every dime you had; the stranger you try to save from dying in a foreign prison who ell in love with you and has now vanished with your savings or retirement funds; – these are ALL simply the bad soap opera or movie script your initial instinct tells you it is.   The internet presents enormous benefits and possibilities but along with those come some serious risks. Keep your wits about you. The same rules that you use to operate in the real world should also be used when you operate online. Does an offer seem too good to be true? Do you really know the person on the other end of an unsolicited message? When something doesn't feel right, just close the window and hit delete. Online criminals are sophisticated, motivated and difficult to prosecute. Don't help them win while crushing others' security, hopes and dreams.