| Don't step in it! |
 |
|
This is the last step in Joe’s prescription for adequate home-computer defense! So far we’ve discussed the importance of:
There’s a battle over who’s going to “own” your computer. Just because you bought a computer doesn’t mean you “own” it. Yep, you may have PAID for it, but ownership is better defined by who actually controls your computer. It may be sitting on your desk, but if it’s infected, bot’d or in any way being controlled by “outsiders” you can’t really claim too much in the way of ownership. So what are the most common “judgment” mistakes people make? Under-estimating the dangers of the Internet This one has already been discussed at length, but imagine the Internet being a lot like New York City. It’s an amazing place, with vast resources of things to see, do and learn. But get just a little off the beaten path, and you may find yourself in a not-so-nice neighborhood. When prompted to download or install “something” – not taking the time to investigate It used to be that operating systems (especially Windows) weren’t too smart when it came to Internet connections. If a website wanted to push some programming code into your system, it just did. And the user was little or no Now days, operating systems have a lot more awareness built-in, and prompt for user permission when a website seeks to push down executable code. Seen mostly as a nuisance, these prompts are often soon regularly ignored. Don’t. Take time to learn what they mean. Put what’s being said by these prompts into your favorite search engine. There’s actually not too many of them, before you know it you’ll be an expert. You’ll quickly recognize the bad from the good. Falling for email scams For a quick education, throw the word “phishing” into your favorite search engine. If something sounds too good to be true – it is. Period. A statement an email about something on the Internet or anywhere else, gives it ZERO credibility. Email is a breeding ground for scams, hoaxes, thievery, viruses, malware, bots and on and on. If someone showed up at your door and told you you’d get something great if you just came out and got in their car – you’d probably slam the door and call the police. The same logic applies to email! If an email shows up claiming you’ll get something great if you just “click here,” that’s a lot like jumping into that car.
Not paying attention to where they are, or are going Kind of like taking a wrong exit off an L.A. freeway, an Internet surfer can quickly end up in some bad places. Remember – ANYTHING ON THE INTERNET CAN BE FAKED OR SPOOFED! Creating links that say one thing, yet take you someplace completely different is EASY to do. Sending emails to your mailbox that say they’re from Bill Gates @ microsoft.com is EASY to do. The IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) is working on these things, but we’re nowhere near trustworthiness on the Internet. Click here: A good Microsoft article on this Allowing websites to install custom “controls” like viewers, onto your system A lot of money is made by advertising on the web. So, there are those who want to steer Internet users into their advertising. That’s why there are pop-ups, adware and spy-ware. For the most part, all are designed track your browsing habits and expose you to as much advertising as possible. Browsing is tracked, because it gives marketers insight into the behavior and reactions of people as they browse the Internet. That’s why for homes with kids, not only is anti-virus a must, a good anti-spyware/adware product is a very smart move, too. Again, if a website wants to “install” something on your computer to make their site “work better,” just be careful. Again if you don’t know what it is, look it up using a search engine. So keep your "eye out," know where you are, and surf safe.
|
Last but not least, and at the same time both easiest and hardest: paying attention and using common sense is the most important thing you can do to defend your computer. In other words, when you're surfin the 'net watch you're going and don't step in the POOP!
ne the wiser. Usually the code was intended to make a website display or function as designed. But like email, even though these capabilities were mostly used to make the web work better, hackers quickly figured out how to use them to exploit systems and people on the Internet.
If an email ever claims to be from your bank, or loan company seeking any kind of information – BE SUSPICIOUS! Scammer put up fake websites then send out emails to fool people into logging in, all while capturing their login and password information. BEWARE any solicitations for personal information!
