Proven Tips, Tools, Tactics, and Other Security Measures To Stay Safe Online

The Internet serves as an incredible tool for educators and students to communicate, share information, and learn. The widespread availability of computers and connections to the Internet provides everyone around-the-clock access to information, credit and financial services, and shopping.

Unfortunately, there exist individuals who exploit the Internet through their criminal activities and other harmful acts. Cybercriminals use creative measures to gain unauthorized access to your computer and then use that access to steal your identity, commit fraud, or even launch cyber attacks against others.

Staying safe online is no longer a given, but a necessary extracurricular activity. Here are nine security measures you can employ immediately to protect yourself, your family, and your business. By following the recommended cyber security measures outlined here, you can limit the harm cyber criminals can do harm not only to your computer, but to everyone's computer. However, keep in mind that there is no single cyber security measure or technological solution that will prevent their cybercrime. These recommended cyber security measures highlight that using a set of measures that include Internet habits as well as technology solutions can make a difference.

The National Cyber Security Alliance recommends eight measures. To that, I have added an additional. They are practical steps, in no particular order, you can take to stay safe online and avoid becoming a victim of fraud, identity theft, or cybercrime.

1. Protect your children online. Implement parental control tools that are provided by some Internet Service Provider (ISPs) and available for purchase as separate software packages. Remember: No program is a substitute for parental supervision. Also check your browser to see if it would allow you to set some parental controls. (Internet Explorer allows you to restrict or allow certain web sites to be viewed on your computer, and you can protect these settings with a password. To find those options, click Tools on your menu bar, select Internet Options, choose the Content tab, and click the Enable button under Content Advisor.)

2. Back up important files regularly. No system is completely secure. If you have important files stored on your computer, copy them onto a removable disc, and store them in a secure place in a different building than your computer. If a different location isn't practical, consider encryption software. Encryption software scrambles a message or a file in a way that can be reversed only with a specific password. Also, make sure you keep your original software start-up disks handy and accessible for use in the event of a system crash.

3. Protect your valuable personal and financial information. Don't open unsolicited or unknown email messages. If you do get an email or pop-up message asking for personal information, don't reply or click on the link in the message. To avoid opening such messages, you can turn off the "Preview Pane" functionality in email programs, and you can set your default options to view opened emails as plain text to avoid active links or pop-ups in the messages. Most importantly, do not to respond to solicitations for your personal or financial information.

If you believe there may be a need for such information by a company with whom you have an account or placed an order, contact that company directly in a way you know to be genuine. Never send your personal information via email because email is not a secure transmission method.

4. Use strong passwords or strong authentication technology to help protect your personal information. To further increase the security of your online identity and to help protect you from account hi-jacking, take advantage of stronger authentication tools wherever available. This may take the form of two-factor authentication – the combination of a password or PIN number (something you know) with a token, smart card, or even a biometric device (something you have). Stronger authentication can also come from a behind-the-scenes identity-verification process, which uses various data to establish whether or not a user is genuine. Ask your bank, your regular online retailers, and your Internet Service Provider (ISP) if they offer stronger authentication tools for more secure transactions.

5. Know who you're dealing with online. Every day, millions of computer users share files online, either as email, documents, or photos. File-sharing can give people access to a wealth of information, including music, games, and software. You download special software that connects your computer to an informal network of other computers running the same software. Millions of users could be connected to each other through this software at one time. Often the software is free and easily accessible, but file-sharing can have a number of risks.

(a) If you don't check the proper settings, you could allow access not just to the files you intend to share, but also to other information on your hard drive, like your tax returns, email messages, medical records, photos, or other personal documents.

(b) In addition, you may unwittingly download pornography labeled as something else. Or you may download material that is protected by the copyright laws, which would mean you could be breaking the law.

Therefore, downloading file-sharing software is not advisable and could place your personal information and computer at risk. If you do decide to use file-sharing software, set it up very carefully. Take the time to read the End User License Agreement to be sure that you're sharing files legally and that you understand the potentially high risk of any free downloads. For example, some license agreements include an agreement to allow spyware to be installed on your machine.

6. Learn what to do if something goes wrong. If a scammer takes advantage of you through an Internet auction, when you're shopping online, or in any other way, report it to the Federal Trade Commission, at ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

If you get deceptive spam, including email phishing for your information, forward it to spam at uce.gov (replace "at" with the "@" sign). Be sure to include the full Internet header of the email. In many email programs, the full "Internet header" is not automatically included in forwarded email messages, so you may need to take additional measures to include the full information needed to detect deceptive spam.

If you believe you have mistakenly given your information to a fraudster, file a complaint at the FTC's website and then visit their Identity Theft website to learn how to minimize your risk of damage from a potential theft of your identity.

7. Use anti-virus software, a firewall, and anti-spyware software to help keep your computer safe and secure.Don't be put off by the word "firewall." It's not necessary to fully understand how it works; it's enough to know what it does and why you need it. Firewalls help keep hackers from using your computer to send out your personal information without your permission. While anti-virus software scans incoming email and files, a firewall is like a guard, watching for outside attempts to access your system and blocking communications from and to sources you don't permit. Some spammers search the Internet for unprotected computers they can control and use anonymously to send unwanted spam emails. They refer to these as "zombie computers".

If you don't have up-to-date anti-virus protection and a firewall, spammers may try to install software that lets them route email through your computer, often to thousands of recipients, so that it appears to have come from your account. If this happens, you may receive an overwhelming number of complaints from recipients, and your email account could be shut down by your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Some operating systems and hardware devices come with a built-in firewall that may be shipped in the "off" mode. Make sure you turn it on. For your firewall to be effective, it needs to be set up properly and updated regularly. Check your online "Help" feature for specific instructions.

8. Be sure to set up your operating system and Web browser software properly, and update them regularly. Hackers also take advantage of unsecured Web browsers (like Internet Explorer or Netscape) and operating system software (like Windows or Linux). Lessen your risk by changing the settings in your browser or operating system and increasing your online security. Check the "Tools" or "Options" menus for built-in security features. If you need help understanding your choices, use your "Help" function.

Your operating system also may offer free software patches that close holes in the system that hackers could exploit. In fact, some common operating systems can be set to automatically retrieve and install patches for you. If your system does not do this, bookmark the website for your system's manufacturer so you can regularly visit and update your system with defenses against the latest attacks. Updating can be as simple as one click. Your email software may help you avoid viruses by giving you the ability to filter certain types of spam. It's up to you to activate the filter. In addition, consider using operating systems that allow automatic updates.

9. Subscribe to a managed security services. As the best form of protection available today, you get much more than just software. You get professional grade technology coupled with having a team of security experts available to help with any security problem. This level of protection has never been available for homes and small businesses until now, and, because of the increase in online security threats, risks, and attacks, it is becoming the future of Internet security.

Although the Internet basically provides a positive and productive experience, cyber-attacks against our personal privacy and security are reaching epidemic proportions. These attacks are occurring in our own homes and businesses. Our own computers are being used are being used as zombies to attack other people, businesses, and even our nation itself. As an average Internet user, you may not be aware of these threats nor have any idea about the dramatically increasing risks you face when connected to the Internet.

On a campaign for internet safety awareness and protection, my mission is to bring critical awareness to individuals, families, and small business owners, and to provide access to the necessary tools and ongoing expertise to secure your computer and help you stay protected.

I invite you to join the many thousands of others who have tested their computers, discovered these threats are real, and taken the necessary steps to protect themselves.

Now that you have become aware of these issues, I encourage you to share this vital information with your families, friends and communities. Together, we can reach many millions of people and inform them about the threats to their privacy and security, and help them get the protection they desperately need.

Remember: When you say "No!" to hackers and spyware, everyone wins! When you don't, we all lose!

© MMVII, Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, Internet Safety Advocate and Educator