Computing Safely

Cybercrime affects all of us and comes in all shapes and sizes. It hurts us because often we are not doing everything we can to protect ourselves. Prevention is straight-forward - when armed with a little technical advice and common sense, many attacks from hackers and viruses can be avoided.

In general, online criminals are trying to make their money as quickly and easily as possible. The more difficult you make their job, the more likely they are to leave you alone and move on to an easier target. Therefore, it is recommended that you use several methods of security instead of relying on just one.

Tips for Internet Security

Always use anti-virus software. Your anti-virus software should be set to constantly monitor your system using "real-time monitoring", and you should be sure your virus definitions are kept up to date. Anti-virus software monitors all online activities such as e-mail messages and Web browsing and protects an individual from viruses, worms, Trojan horses and other types malicious programs. More recent versions of anti-virus programs also protect from spyware and potentially unwanted programs such as adware. Your anti-virus and anti-spyware software should be configured to update itself, and it should do so every time you connect to the Internet.

Password protect your computer. User accounts should be password protected to prevent unwanted access to your personal files and information. Also consider enabling password-protected screen savers.

Establish a back-up schedule for important data. Creating and maintaining a set schedule for backing up your data can prepare you for any unfortunate breach that could occur despite your best efforts to remain secure.

Maintain your computer current with up-to-date security patches and updates. One of the best ways to keep attackers away from your computer is to apply patches and other software fixes when they become available. When vulnerabilities are discovered, the software companies and vendors issue "patches" that fix the particular problems. By regularly updating your computer, you block attackers from being able to take advantage of software vulnerabilities that they could otherwise use to break into your system.

Make sure your computer is configured securely. When you are installing a new computer at home, pay attention not just to making your new system function, but also focus on making it work securely.
Configuring your Web browser is very important. Choosing the right level of security and privacy depends on the individual using the computer. Oftentimes security and privacy settings can be properly configured without any sort of special expertise by simply using the "Help" feature of your software or reading the vendor's Web site.

Web site rating services
These are services that rate Web sites based on whether they include risky downloads, load your system with spyware, drown you with spam or infect your computer merely by visiting the site. One of the best-known services is McAfee SiteAdvisor. You can download SiteAdvisor for free here.

Parental controls
Parental controls for your computer manage when your kids can go online and limit them to approved, safe Web sites. Some parental controls even limit your children's ability to share or download files, helping to ensure they don't load your system with spyware. This security software is included with several security suites and is also available as a standalone product. Buy it, install it and use it. Kids may not think it's fair, but it's much safer than leaving them unprotected.

If you are uncomfortable configuring your system yourself, consult someone you know and trust for assistance or contact the vendor directly.

Go to www.onguardonline.gov and www.staysafeonline.org to learn more about how to keep your computer secure.

Information from CERT on How to Secure Your Web Browser

Home and Wireless Networks

Home Network Security

Learn the risks and rules associated with sharing files or your Internet connection. If you use a wireless network without locking down your connection, any cyber thief with the right technology know-how can see and steal any information entered online, including passwords, personal information and possibly even credit cards and financial information.

On a secure network, a cyber crook who wants to steal from you must break through layers of security to access your personal transactions, private messages and online habits. Unsecured wireless networks allow crooks to eavesdrop on your network connection and literally pull your information out of the air.

Firewalls
A firewall is usually your computer's first line of defense — it controls who and what can communicate with your computer online. Firewalls create a protective barrier between your network and the outside world by preventing access by unauthorized outside users. If a computer has no firewall, nothing is controlling who and what can enter and leave. When you connect a computer to a network, including the Internet, your system can be a target.

For more information about network security, visit the
cert.org Home Network Security page.

High-Speed Internet

Although high-speed Internet connections are significantly faster than dial-up connections, your computer is connected to the Internet whenever it is powered on.

You can protect against dangers by employing a few countermeasures:

• Install a firewall
• Use anti-virus software
• Update your anti-virus software weekly
• Run a virus scan at least once a week
• Use secure passwords
• Back-up your system
• Consider turning off your computer when not in use

Public Internet Connections

Online safety doesn't stop when you leave your home.
Whether you go to a cyber cafe, a business center or even your public library, remember that anyone walking behind you can see what you are doing. Someone can steal your passwords, see where you bank and learn a lot about you, just by looking over your shoulder.

Tips for Using Public Wireless Networks:

• Avoid connecting to any Wi-Fi network unless you know it's secure.
• Make sure the personal firewall on your laptop is turned on and updated.
• Turn off the wireless network connection on your laptop when not in use to prevent unauthorized access.
• Keep your laptop with you at all times to ensure your private information stays private.

Downloading, File Sharing, & Piracy

Downloading, File Sharing & Piracy

Peer-to-Peer file sharing, or P2P, is a method of trading files on the Internet. Users can find copyrighted music and movies, as well as computer programs and games. Sharing and downloading these copyrighted files is a violation of copyright laws and is illegal.
Many viruses and worms also proliferate across P2P networks, making it easy to download a file that appears benign and end up with a vicious computer virus.

Use Safe, Legal Alternatives

Several companies have file distribution programs that allow users to purchase all the songs that they want one at a time. This allows you to pay for the music that you want to listen to and download it legally. Most of these services include licenses with each song that allow you to copy the song to multiple listening devices and store it on your computer. Furthermore, these pay-per-download services charge as little as 79 cents per song and have hundreds of thousands of selections in their catalogs. Some of these programs include iTunes, Amazon.com Music, and Zune.

Piracy at Home

Piracy refers to the illegal copying, distribution, or use of software, music, movies or any other media that can be digitally stored and transferred. Illegal piracy causes significant lost revenue for publishers, which in turn results in higher prices for the consumer.
Users may create backups of CDs, DVDs, and computer programs in case the original fails. Distributing these backups, however, is illegal.
Most of the piracy on the Internet is carried out using Peer-to-Peer (P2P) clients or torrent P2P software such as LimeWire, Frostwire, Bearshare, uTorrent, and Vuze. These programs facilitate the sharing of copyrighted files quickly, seamlessly, and virtually anonymously. Unfortunately, these programs can cause many problems, including slower Internet speeds and the possibility of inadvertently downloading a virus.

How to Fight Piracy

The first step in fighting piracy is to make sure you don't contribute to it knowingly or unknowingly. Buy media only from authorized dealers. If you discover that you might have a counterfeit copy of a software application, movie, or CD, contact the dealer you bought it from. Keep in mind that they may have been fooled, too.

Download Safety

"Downloading" is the transmission of a file from one computer system or network to another smaller computer system. "Uploading" is transmission in the other direction, from a smaller computer to another larger computer or network. In short, to download is to receive a file and to upload is to send a file.

Dangers

Downloading data from an unknown or unreliable source can be dangerous. Many files available for downloading contain malware or spyware. A Trojan horse, for example, is an apparently harmless program that contains malicious or destructive code. Left alone, it has the ability to hurt your computer in a number of ways, such as ruining your hard disk, or sending out your personal information to a hacker.

Don't download programs from Web sites you don't know and trust. Make sure that everyone using the computer checks first with the owner of the computer before downloading programs.

Be cautious about downloading e-mails attachments.Many attachments contain viruses that can infect your computer, so make sure that your security software is up-to-date.

Read the user agreement and privacy policy carefully. They will tell you what information is being collected from you and how that information is being used. Children may ignore the user agreements or other warnings because they are lured by promises of fun. This is another reason why it is important to supervise children while they're surfing the Internet.