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Top 10 Cyber Security tips |
1. Use “anti-virus software” and keep it up to date.
Make sure you have anti-virus software on your computer!
Anti-virus software is designed to protect you and your
computer against known viruses so you don’t have to worry.
But with new viruses emerging daily, anti-virus programs
need regular updates, like annual flu shots, to recognize
these new viruses. Be sure to update your anti-virus
software regularly! The more often you keep it updated, say
once a week, the better. Check with the web site of your
anti-virus software company to see some sample descriptions
of viruses and to get regular updates for your software.
Stop viruses in their tracks!
2. Don’t open emails or attachments from unknown sources.
Be suspicious of any unexpected email attachments even if
they appear to be from someone you know.
A simple rule of thumb is that if you don't know the person
who is sending you an email, be very careful about opening
the email and any file attached to it. Should you receive a
suspicious email, the best thing to do is to delete the
entire message, including any attachment. . If you are
determined to open a file from an unknown source, save it
first and run your virus checker on that file, but also
understand that there is still a risk. If the mail appears
to be from someone you know, still treat it with caution if
it has a suspicious subject line (e.g. “Iloveyou” or “Anna
Kounikova”) or if it otherwise seems suspicious (e.g., it
was sent in the middle of the night). Also be careful if you
receive many copies of the same message from either known or
unknown sources. Finally, remember that even friends and
family may accidentally send you a virus or the e-mail may
have been sent from their machines without their knowledge.
Such was the case with the "I Love You" virus that spread to
millions of people in 2001. When in doubt, delete! If you
receive an email from a trusted vendor or organization, be
careful of phishing, a high-tech scam used to deceive
consumers into providing personal data, including credit
card numbers, etc. For information about “phishing” go to
the FTC document titiled “How Not to Get Hooked By a
Phishing Scam”, http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/phishingalrt.pdf.
The best way to make sure you’re dealing with a merchant you
trust, and not a fraudster, is to initiate the contact
yourself. Type the merchant’s address into your Internet
browser instead of clicking on a link in an e-mail.
3. Protect your computer from Internet intruders – use
“firewalls.”
Equip your computer with a firewall! Firewalls create a
protective wall between your computer and the outside world.
They come in two forms, software firewalls that run on your
personal computer and hardware firewalls that protect a
number of computers at the same time. They work by filtering
out unauthorized or potentially dangerous types of data from
the Internet, while still allowing other (good) data to
reach your computer. Firewalls also ensure that unauthorized
persons can’t gain access to your computer while you’re
connected to the Internet. You can find firewall hardware
and software at most computer stores and in some operating
systems. Don’t let intruders in!
4. Regularly download security updates and “patches” for
operating systems and other software.
Most major software companies today release updates and
patches to close newly discovered vulnerabilities in their
software. Sometimes bugs are discovered in a program that
may allow a criminal hacker to attack your computer. Before
most of these attacks occur, the software companies or
vendors create free patches for you that they post on their
web sites. You need to be sure you download and install the
patches! Check your software vendors’ web sites regularly
for new security patches or use the automated patching
features that some companies offer. Ensure that you are
getting patches from the correct patch update site. Many
systems have been compromised this past year by installing
patches obtained from bogus update sites or emails that
appear to be from a vendor that provides links to those
bogus sites. If you don’t have the time to do the work
yourself, download and install a utility program to do it
for you. There are available software programs that can
perform this task for you. Stay informed!
5. Use hard-to-guess passwords. Mix upper case, lower
case, numbers, or other characters not easy to find in a
dictionary, and make sure they are at least eight characters
long.
Passwords will only keep outsiders out if they are difficult
to guess! Don’t share your password, and don’t use the same
password in more than one place. If someone should happen to
guess one of your passwords, you don’t want them to be able
to use it in other places. The golden rules of passwords
are: (1) A password should have a minimum of 8 characters,
be as meaningless as possible, and use uppercase letters,
lowercase letters, symbols and numbers, e.g., xk2&LP97. (2)
Change passwords regularly, at least every 90 days. (3) Do
not give out your password to anyone! For enhanced security,
use some form of two-factor authentication. Two-factor
authentication is a way to gain access by combining
something you know (PIN) with something you have (token or
smart card).
6. Back-up your computer data on disks or CDs regularly.
Experienced computer users know that there are two types of
people: those who have already lost data and those who are
going to experience the pain of losing data in the future.
Back up small amounts of data on floppy disks and larger
amounts on CDs. If you have access to a network, save copies
of your data on another computer in the network. Many people
make weekly backups of all their important data. And make
sure you have your original software start-up disks handy
and available in the event your computer system files get
damaged. Be prepared!
7. Don’t share access to your computers with strangers.
Learn about file sharing risks.
Your computer operating system may allow other computers on
a network, including the Internet, to access the hard-drive
of your computer in order to “share files”. This ability to
share files can be used to infect your computer with a virus
or look at the files on your computer if you don’t pay close
attention. So, unless you really need this ability, make
sure you turn off file-sharing. Check your operating system
and your other program help files to learn how to disable
file sharing. Don’t share access to your computer with
strangers!
8. Disconnect from the Internet when not in use.
Remember that the Digital Highway is a two-way road. You
send and receive information on it. Disconnecting your
computer from the Internet when you’re not online lessens
the chance that someone will be able to access your
computer. And if you haven’t kept your anti-virus software
up-to-date, or don’t have a firewall in place, someone could
infect your computer or use it to harm someone else on the
Internet. and help protect others: disconnect!
9. Check your security on a regular basis. When you
change your clocks for daylight-savings time, reevaluate
your computer security.
The programs and operating system on your computer have many
valuable features that make your life easier, but can also
leave you vulnerable to hackers and viruses. You should
evaluate your computer security at least twice a year – do
it when you change the clocks for daylight-savings! Look at
the settings on applications that you have on your computer.
Your browser software, for example, typically has a security
setting in its preferences area. Check what settings you
have and make sure you have the security level appropriate
for you. Set a high bar for yourself!
10. Make sure your family members and/or your employees
know what to do if your computer becomes infected.
It’s important that everyone who uses a computer be aware of
proper security practices. People should know how to update
virus protection software, how to download security patches
from software vendors and how to create a proper password.
Make sure they know these tips too! |
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(210) 736-2783 |
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