10 tips for safer Internet / Net surfing

10 tips for safer Internet / Net browsing / surfing

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It may sound cliched to hear that Internet is the future. However, despite the potential and prospects of the medium, many are scared to use it due to security fears. At the same time, those who use the Internet often fumble when it comes to security. Here are 10 ways to keep your personal information secure when online.

Go by common sense

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Favor common sense over technological solutions. Keep personal documents safe, preferably in a locked drawer. Shred bank statements, credit card slips and bills before throwing them away.

Spam

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If it's too good to be true, it is. Never open unsolicited "spam" messages. Delete e-mails offering cash, free gifts or stock tips. Millions of unsolicited "spam" messages are sent every day in an attempt to defraud computer users.

Identity theft

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Basic prevention helps. Protect your computer against identity theft. Install security software to combat viruses, spyware and spam and keep it updated.

Firewall

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Know enough about your firewall, the barrier between the public Internet and a personal computer, to know when it is working and when it isn't. Don't worry about the geeky complexity of it all, just know it's operating.

Phishing

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Beware of "phishing", where criminals trick people into revealing personal or financial details, often by sending e-mails purporting to be from a bank. Never casually reply to requests for your personal financial details.

Multiple e-mail accounts

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Keep your private e-mail address secure. Consider using different e-mail accounts for shopping, banking, friends and work. There are many free account providers.

Passwords

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Do not use the same password for different sites. Choose passwords with a mix of letters, numbers and symbols. Don't use obvious passwords, such as your first name or "123456" and don't write them down. For memory's sake, choosing a basic root word, then rotating numbers, is safer.

Online payment

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Make online payments safely. Never enter a card number unless there is a padlock in the Web browser's frame, rather than the Web page. The Web address should begin with "https" -- the extra "S" stands for "secure". Consider reserving one credit card for Web use or signing up for a separate online payment service like PayPal.

Wireless network

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Secure your wireless network at home and be wary when using public access points. Encrypt the connection to scramble communications over the network. Turn off the wireless network when you're not using it.

Laptops & mobiles

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Treat your laptop computer like cash -- never leave it in a locked car or turn your back while using it in a public place. The same holds true with your mobile phone: Lock your phone (and any passwords you keep on it) when not using it.

Tanveer 😊

Thanks that was really useful to know to stay safe 😊

You're welcome.😊

My younger sister was eager to send quite a substantial amount to a certain UK address giving all her personal details in response to an e-mail, which claimed that she'd won a cash prize perhaps worth more than a million and asked her to send a certain amount.

I'd to seek my Aunt's intervention to save her from getting defrauded.

But I committed a blunder of giving my regular ID to my workplace and the media.

I gave the same ID while registering the civic grievances under various categories of our city's government/municipal website.

I also registered with the same ID once after buying an original software.

I'm getting a lot of Spam and I don't even know from where I'm getting so much Spam since 2005.

Some of my colleagues have unfortunately forwarded my regular email ID to their other friends.

So one's to be extremely careful even while sharing his/her regular email address with one's own colleagues.

-Tanveer

Yeah Tanveer this is true, as young people often believe this to be true, about they have won cash prizes, but yeah from early on i have always been weary of the net world, and yeah look out on my lil/bros sis when using the net but they just play games, lol

Yeah with mail, i hardly ever sign up to anything and if i do, i dont use my regular hotmail ID, i'll use a yahoo one and then any spam mail i get i trash everything AT once, but yeah i dont recieve much spam though, so its ok 😊

I forgot to mention that I've given my regular email ID to the banks and the mobile service provider too.

I don't know why I gave my regular ID despite having multiple Yahoo IDs.

One person has picked up my regular email ID from 'The Asian Age' (an Indian newspaper based in Mumbai).😊

Sometimes he sends a copy of the email that he sends to the media.

Although I do have a hotmail ID I rarely use it because it doesn't give the user the option of an unlimited storage whereas Yahoo gives its users the option of an unlimited storage.

Moreover, hotmail expects its users to log in at least once in 30 days otherwise the account needs to be reactivated.

Yahoo users can keep their accounts active even if they log in once in 04 months.

I've reserved an email ID for creating online petitions as it is displayed online and anyone can contact the petition author.

Since I'd created an online petition against the helmet rule someone had created an anonymous account in google and sent me an anonymous abusive e-mail to my public account.

On the rarest of the rare cases some elements send anonymous emails to threaten, intimidate and blackmail me too.

Sometimes I get fraudulent emails claming that they're from the FBI and/or the CIA.

-Tanveer 😊

awwww that sucks yaar, yeah i use hotmail for skl work, n yahoo as of unlimited storage for junk like when you have messages such as so n so has commented on ur xyz profile, lolss and such stuff but am lucky i dont ge tmuch junk or anything.