Treat Your Internet Like Your Home
Part 3 of 3
We’re talking about computer security. Treat your Internet like you treat your home. So if you’re like most people you like to keep your home to date. So why not keep your computer up to date?
First, if you have an old computer that is running old software like Windows 98 or something equally old then I suggest you get rid of it. Get a new machine! If you have a newer computer you need to make sure its operating system and other software is frequently updated. Why? Because hackers love an outdated computer because that’s where they find the holes in the software and they can do their damage. Don’t be a sucker for that…please.
Performing a Windows Update is really simple and you can do it yourself. You can also update other useful software like Adobe PDF and Flash. Again, old or out of date software is what hackers look for. Other software you need to be concerned is Java. Java is especially essential because it is found on almost all computing devices.
When you’re at home and your phone rings you answer it right? If it is wrong number you say so then hang up right? Well when you receive an email from someone you don’t know simply delete it or send to the spam file. For the same reason you don’t talk to strangers on the phone you don’t entertain junk email. I don’t care how much weight it promises to help you lose.
Here is another thing you need to understand, passwords. A password is nothing more than a key. It is the key your bank account, your mailbox, whatever you do on the Internet. Since you would not give your house key to a stranger why would you share your password? Starting to get the picture? And another thing, if you look at your house or car key you will see that it is a complicated device with lots of curves and grooves. Your password should be the same way, make it complicated. Forget I even said password. Make it a pass phrase. That’s a saying, a location or a person who you know and make a short sentence out of it. Mix in a few numbers and special characters. Take something like, “My ex-boyfriend is a jerk” and change it to this; mYXb0yfr!enDisAj$#k. That’s 18 characters and a hacker’s nightmare. It might seem difficult but think of that the next time you hear about someone getting their bank account hacked.
The bottom line is that you need to keep a clean and secure computer at all times. Make sure you have the openings secured and the contents are clean and an up to date. It’s not really very difficult but it does require some effort. Use the free tools that are available to you. If you follow these simple steps its less likely that you end up being somebody’s Internet fool.
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