It's only going to get worse

After reading the following article it seems like it's steadily getting to be more and more of a risk being online and carrying out any kind of transactions. When I read about the phising sites and how people are caught out by them it just goes to show how many naive people there are using the internet.

Here's some basic tips on making sure that you aren't the next credit card on that list they are selling!

• Use anti-spyware and anti-virus programs
• On at least a weekly basis update anti-virus and spyware products
• Install a firewall and make sure it is switched on
• Make sure updates to your operating system are installed
• Take time to educate yourself and family about the risks
• Monitor your computer and stay alert to threats
• Don't click on links in emails until you know exactly where they are going to
• Never open attachments in emails that will run things on your computer (.exes etc)

You can stay safe on the internet but you have to make the time and effort to be aware of whats going on around you.

Mark

Comments

[Nick Barron]

Good advice; I'd add the following:

1. Your antivirus/antispyware system should automatically download and install updates frequently, preferably several times a day. Weekly updates are no longer sufficient for decent protection.
2. Backup your important data and keep it separate from your PC.
3. Backup your important data and keep it separate from your PC.
4. Backup your important data and keep it separate from your PC (yes, I know it's the same point, but it's far more important to protect your data than your machine!)

There are plenty of good "online" backup solutions such as Carbonite, Mozy, BT etc that need little or no regular management. A good litmus test is to think what your feeling would be if you got home and found a big empty space where your PC used to be...

[Mark]

Yes! How could I have missed that one! I completely agree.

Backup your important data and keep it separate from your PC!

I'll add that into the original list as it is *very* important to keep that important data backed up and safe. I've seen it many times when people have lost something 'critical' to them.

The worse case I remember was when a distraught husband was asking whether there was any way to recover some data from a laptop as his wife had been doing her University degree on it for 3 years. All of the data was on there, none of it backed up. The hard drive had crashed. It wasn't good news.

Mark