Tips on Safety and Security when using the internet

Your safety and the security of information you send and receive through the internet is extremely important. Therefore you need to protect yourself against certain elements that you cannot see.

Since the advent of computers our security has never been threatened as much as it is today. We talk and share information with people and faces that look innocent, and we want to believe them. Yet often our illusions are shattered by those out to scam their way through our hard earned savings.

We have to outsmart this type of person. I have come across so many people, especially some of my fellow seniors. They are under the misapprehension that they have virus protection on their computer. They bought the program with the computer ten years ago. They do not realize that it should be updated automatically or manually every week. Once a month, is not good enough.

Do you realize that when we send information from our computer to a friend on another computer, that other computers in between will have a chance to read what we have sent? Do you now understand why security is very important?

If you buy something over the internet, you will either do a bank deposit on the internet. Pay for it with PayPal. Fill in your name and address and credit card number when you pay for things over the internet. No one knows if someone working on another computer between your computer and the person you are sending it to can intercept your details. I have been told it is possible. It is like when using an internet café to send email or buy something. Before you leave the café, do you clean out the cookies?

Do you ask if the computers are secure or if they are cleaned out after and before the last person has used the computer? If this is not done, then some people cleverer than me can follow those footprints and go into your accounts. Some secure sights have also been found not as secure as they thought.

We need to be more security conscious ourselves even on our own home computer.

Using wireless internet

Make sure that your wireless internet is secure.  I have seen unprotected computers while traveling recently.  I would go on my wireless laptop and look to connect to the internet.  Out of curiosity I would look to see how many computers were working in the surrounding area. 

Sometimes I have noticed unsecured computers; if I had no internet connection myself I could log into theirs and use it.  Everyone needs to be aware of this possibility.

Why pay exorbitant prices for antivirus software when you can use it for free? That’s right, absolutely free.

Free Download here

Specifications for AVG:

Operating system: Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows 2000

This is a brilliant program. We have used it on our computers for more than five years now with no complaints or problems at all. No I am not being paid to say that. It really works for me, and I believe hundreds more. So save money and try this out.

These days we all send emails out often not realising the risks involved to our children and ourselves.

It has become a way of life and as such we become lax about it the risks involved. Learn more on the risks involved with emails