Charlie from Alphatronics.
ONLINE SAFETY: These days we use the Internet for just about everything, communication with friends via Facebook, paying bills via our online banking, even keeping up to date with the local news on donegaldaily.com.
If you’re anything like me, the internet is your go-to resource for just about everything. Sometimes I roll out of bed and check my email messages before I even brush my teeth.
Now with smart phones internet access is available just about anywhere, pretty much everything is connected to the World Wide Web.
The internet is a fantastic resource, but as with everything, it has its risks. This guide will give you some hints and tips on staying safe while enjoying your time browsing the online world.
Make sure you have an up to date antivirus program installed.
There is a huge number of antivirus programs to choose from, so how do you find the best one?
Antivirus test organizations test antivirus products every month, ranking them on their effectiveness, performance, and usability. Check out https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/ for a complete list of antivirus software and how they rank.
Be careful when using your email:
Spoof emails are very common, ranging from Nigerian lottery winner asking for a short-term loan to fake companies pretending to be Eir or PayPal asking you for personal information.
This is called phishing. If you get an email from someone like a bank, eBay or PayPal, saying there is a problem with your account its best to completely ignore or delete it. Most companies will never ask you to tell them your personal details or password. Viruses are often spread via attachments on emails, so if you don’t know what an attachment is, do not open it.
Never open .EXE attachments. The same is true of links. Even if it looks like a safe link, it may be forwarding to somewhere you weren’t expecting.
Stay safe shopping online:
The most obvious advice for shopping online is to use well established and trusted sites like Amazon and Ebay to purchase items.
If you are buying online using your credit card always check the site you’re using has SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption installed. You’ll know if the site has SSL because the address for the site will start with HTTPS:// (instead of just HTTP://). An icon of a locked padlock will appear, typically in the status bar at the bottom of your web browser, or right next to the URL in the address bar. It depends on your browser. The “S” in HTTPS stands for secure as shown in the example image here.
Passwords are very important:
In many cases your password is the only thing preventing unwanted access to your personal online data like email or facebook so it’s worth taking some time and thinking about making it difficult for anyone to guess.
If your name is Charlie then charlie1 really isn’t a great password to use as a cyber-criminal wouldn’t take too long to figure this out. A mixture of numbers, capital letters and symbols is far more advisable with many sites now requiring these as standard. Ch@rl1e would be a much more secure version of the previous example.
Many online services such as Gmail or Outlook offer a SMS Text Message based 2-factor-authentication (2FA). This means if you log into their services from a new device you have to type in a code that they will send you via SMS Text Message. This means a potential hacker would need more than your password to gain access to your data.
Keep your computer or device updated:
Yes I know it’s annoying when your device keeps reminding you there is an update available, most people click the remind me later or don’t install option, but updates are very important as the often contain patches or fixes for security issues that have been discovered within the operating system of your device.
When you avoid updating your device you are choosing to leave it unprotected against threats that have been discovered and inviting unwanted attention from cyber-criminals. Mobile Phones, computers, laptops and tablets all come with built in automatic updating, I would advise you use this service as soon as your device alerts you of an available update.
These 5 tips should help keep you safe online and help you relax and enjoy your surfing experience.
By Charlie Kelly – Alphatronic Repair Technician
Alphatronic 38 Port Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal
Contact me directly 074 91 13445 or email http://charlie@alphatronic.ie
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/alphatronic/
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