Online security against Internet frauds, scans and threats
With so many scams, thefts & frauds happening online these days, internet is no longer secure. Read this article to find some tips on online security and safe transactions.
Viruses, hackers, spams are only some of the many threats to online security. Without internet, life is unimaginable. Since Internet has become a necessary part of our everyday lives, we all must learn some basic techniques to protect ourselves from cyber-crimes.
To avoid cyber-crimes or threats to online security, we must have anti-virus software on our systems which we should keep updating. Below are some tips for safeguarding our computer systems.1. Set a strong password for basic online security
A strong password is a good protection for online transactions. The password should be strong & complex to keep our online accounts protected from unauthorized accesses. For a strong password, use combinations of special symbols, numbers and special characters. The password should be at least 8 characters long.
While setting a password, try to avoid common words and repeated characters or numbers like abcdef, 123456, 22222 etc. Such passwords are easier to hack. So, avoid such passwords.2. Split your email addresses for different purpose accounts
Rather than linking all social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Forums and bank sites to one common email address, link these to different email addresses. Create multiple email addresses and if use one mail address for say social surfing activities, then use other for bank related transactions. This way, you will have more security.3. Upload the virus attacked files to below given sites
Suppose you receive any virus attacked file or your system gets infected with Dns changer malware, just upload such file to these sites www.virustotal.com, http://dcwg.org. On doing this, these sites will suggest how you can clean infected machines or how the malwares can be fixed. These sites have search engines that filter out the threats and you get the reported document.4. Install firewall on your system
Firewalls can be software or hardware based and these help to keep the network secure. Firewall builds a bridge between internal network and external network. The internal network is the one that is secured and trusted while the external network denotes unsecure networks like internet.
Firewalls can be used to block access to particular websites or to prevent certain users or machines from accessing certain servers or services.
Firewall protection uses packet filters to detect and block the intruders. Firewalls log intrusion attempts and give alerts. So, it is important that you install firewall on your system.5. Choose Internet Security Settings
If you want to protect your PC while surfing the internet, then the Security tab of the Internet Options dialogue box has some essential settings which you must check. Consider Internet Explorer 6 for security settings. Click on the security tab from 'properties' option on top of the screen. Now, select 'internet' option which will split your internet surfing to zones.
You can select any one zone (internet, local intranet, trusted sites and restricted sites) and then click the custom level button to select the settings for that zone. If you select restricted sites, the sites button will be available on that page. The site button will not available if the selected zone is internet.
If you select trusted sites, you can add the required or commonly used websites to the list of trusted sites. In this way, sites are filtered and pop up ads, harmful JavaScript or spyware are less likely to damage your PC.6. Use HTTPS for online browsing
If you use Firefox, you should use HTTPS by The Tor Project & the Electronic Frontier Foundation. This will encrypt your communications on several major websites.
You can secure any Twitter session by typing 's' after the 'http' in browser bar. This way, you'll go to https://twitter.com and the session will remain secure until you log out.7. Use Antivirus Software
Antivirus software programs keep your family & business safe from dangerous virus attacks. Strong antivirus will not just prevent virus infections but also detect & remove existing viruses on an infected computer.
Download McAfee's excellent SiteAdvisor from www.siteadvisor.com. Following green, yellow and red site rating icons will help you avoid compromised web locations. Antivirus software should be updated regularly for sustained & complete protection of your computer system.
