IdentityFort

While you may think it’s an exaggeration, the truth is that hackers both around the world and across the street are working around the clock to find new ways to gain access to your personal information, to steal your passwords, to take control of your computer, or to turn your hard drive into just another broken piece of scrap metal.

It seems that everywhere you turn on the Internet, if you visit the wrong website or download the wrong file, your computer could end up infected with spyware that tracks your web surfing activities and collects your online data - or adware that takes control of your Internet connection, spamming your computer with so much crud that it chokes the life out of your Internet connection.

As you’re probably aware, almost everything that you do on a computer leaves a digital trace that, in the wrong hands, can do some serious damage to your financial situation. Really, your privacy is at the mercy of companies that can access and use that data, and they usually don’t care too much about what you would rather not be public information. Maybe they’ll give that information to the government in response to a subpoena. Maybe they’ll just be careless with the data, letting some thief abscond with your personal information and leaving you exposed to ID theft.

Unless you disconnect your internet connection and throw your personal computer into the bathtub, you really can’t get rid of these threats entirely. If you want to be a part of a digital world, you’ll have to learn how to work with these threats and lower the chances that you’ll be a victim. The same reason you buy locks for your doors and insurance for your car applies to your purchase of anti-virus and anti-spyware software and identity theft insurance.

Here are some simple steps you can take to make yourself a less appealing target to the people who really want to get their hands on your data.

Keep your computer up to date

Hackers are constantly on the lookout for new flaws in common operating systems and Windows software is especially vulnerable. Your operating system is the central nervous system of your computer - extremely important. Fortunately, Windows can update itself automatically, downloading the latest patches and installing them by itself. Check your settings (under Control Panel in Windows and System Preferences on Macs) and make sure automatic updates are on.

Use Security Software

Always use security software. Windows machines are recommended to have anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall software running at all times.

ZoneAlarm has a great software suite that provides all those necessary services in one package, and, if you order through the link above, you can save $20 off the retail price.

While your Internet service provider may supply free software for you to use, don’t depend on it. There’s a reason why it’s free.

Don’t Depend On Security Software

The biggest threat you face is the new hacker tactic that your security program doesn’t know about yet - so you need to develop Internet street smarts.

Take a long hard look at any e-mail attachment or any free download that’s offered from a website. Many, if not most of such offerings contain potentially dangerous programs.

A University of Washington study found that one in 25 sites contained intrusive software, ranging from simple adware to more dangerous programs that let someone see what you type, or record your keystrokes as you type in passwords. Many of these dangerous programs were downloaded by people who were looking for nothing more than a simple game or screensaver.

Limit User Access

Both Macintosh and Windows machines allow the owner of the machine to set up accounts for different users, giving each user a different level of privileges to alter the machine, such as by adding software. The odds are that you have full administrator rights, which is the default setting on most machines.

While using the administrator account makes using your computer a bit easier, it also makes you more vulnerable. Certain malicious pieces of software, if launched when you’re on an administrator account, could wipe out your hard drive. If you work on an account with limited privileges, however, problematic software might not be able to do any damage at all. You should use your administrator account to only install software or perform the maintenance tasks that regularly should be done - such as defragmenting and so on.

Get a secure router

Routers aren’t expensive. You can get a good one for as little as $30, or even less if you buy one through E-bay.

Make sure you buy a wireless router with encrypted Wi-Fi. The best firewall in the world isn’t going to help you much if you leave your wireless connection open to your neighbor or anyone driving down your street.

If you have unencrypted Wi-Fi, anybody can hop on to your network and use your bandwidth - or watch what you do or even break into your computer. To foil them, set your router to encrypt your data. You usually have two choices: WEP or WPA. Choose WPA. It’s tougher to break.

Be careful at the coffee shop

A lot of places are now offering free laptop Wi-Fi access - even McDonalds. But if it’s easy for you to log on, it’s easy for the guy sipping a latte at the next table to spy on you..

Make sure your computer is set not to share files with a network, and avoid typing in passwords or sensitive data, especially if you’re on an unsecured Web page - one that doesn’t start “https”.

No matter what, don’t do your banking in a public spot. If you have a POP-based e-mail program, use a secure SSL connection - and if none of those abbreviations make sense to you, just do your computing at home, please!

Be aware of what your computer knows about you

As you wander around the Internet, your browser records information about every website you visit. Cookies loaded onto your computer by the sites you view are stored until they’re deleted, allowing anyone to look at where you’ve been and, in some cases, giving them your passwords to otherwise secure sites.

If you’re using the latest Internet Explorer or Firefox, they have one- or two-click functions under Tools that clear your browsing history.

Don’t give personal data away - eliminate it

Even if you think you’ve wiped your hard drive, traces of data usually remain. Before you throw away or give away an old computer, wipe your hard drive clean with software that meets Department of Defense standards for data destruction.

If you’re more physical, feel free to take your hard drive out and give it a few wacks with a sledgehammer.

Popularity: 37% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!