A Road Map to Online Protection: Part II

Posted by Ken

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Earlier I posted the first half of a check list that identified ways to beef up your online defenses. Today, I’m posting the second half of that list. Bear in mind that despite the fact that there will always be online risks, we must remain ever-vigilant in the fight against those risks. So don’t give up! Arming yourself with information is half the battle. It’s the people that turn a blind eye to the threats that await them online that sexual predators and identity thieves are looking for. Don’t be one of them!

Now, on with the list:

Regularly check to see you have the current updates and patches for your operating system. Most of the ones I see for Windows are security related. These are the ones that are the most important.
Also check to see that your browser is up to date.
Be leary of forms in e-mails that ask for anything, especially if it’s personal. And be equally as cautious for the Web sites they may take you to.
Are the Web sites you’re going to secure? This is especially important when you’re dealing with online transactions. There should be a message indicating that you’re entering a secure site or a little icon (e.g. padlock) in the corner of the browser you’re using.
Review the privacy policy of the company’s site you’re visiting. Do they sell or give your information to third parties? How do they use the information themselves? Do they offer a way to opt-out of any lists they put you on?

Does an e-mail look suspicious to you? If so, notify your local enforcement or the organization being represented in the e-mail.
Consider installing a software package that monitors online activity for each member of your household and REVIEW the logs it records to see where they’ve been. (Note: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — this is not prying; it’s you being a responsible parent. If it will make you feel better, let them know that you know where they go online. It’s for their protection and yours.)

Installing a firewall software package to monitor incoming and outgoing traffic on your computer is also a good idea. This is different than monitoring the online activity of users. (I’ll post more about this in the future.)
It wouldn’t hurt to have a hardware firewall, too.
Worried about using you’re personal e-mail address? Set up another one specifically for situations where you don’t want an organization or individual to use the address you’re trying to protect. You have a lot of free choices, and some will allow you to forward to an address of your choice.

These won’t secure you 100 percent, but implementing any one of these will most certainly bring you one step closer to avoid some sort of online risk. With the exception of getting a hardware firewall, you can find a free solution to the choices I’ve listed. I’ll post more about this in the future to aid in your search.

Surf safely!

Internet Safety