The isolation that existed in the past no longer exists and you need to realize that you have to protect yourself at all times. This could apply to pretty much any situation that you could find yourself in, but in this instance we are talking about internet security. What do you have in place to protect yourself and your files from the various viruses and malware that is floating around the internet?
The first thing you have to have is some sort of security program protecting you. There are many programs out there for personal computers, but one of the most effective is Microsoft Security Essentials. This program is not only very effective it is also one hundred percent reliable and free. Free is not something you hear a lot these days and combining free with effective; well that's a rare find.
Security Essentials can be set up to run automatically anytime of the day or night - it's your choice, but probably the least intrusive choice is to set it to run at 2 A.M. That way it can do its thing and when you get up in the morning you can check to see if anything was found. But a security/virus program is only one aspect of internet awareness.
If you are doing online banking or shopping you need to be aware of a few things. First of all is the website you are visiting reliable and known? It is tempting to jump on a "bargain" found at a website you are not familiar with, and maybe the bargain is legitimate, but you should be cautious. Do a little bit of research before entering any personal information or credit card numbers.
One thing that is easy to check for - is the site a secured website? The way to check this is to look up at the URL. (Also known as the web address.) A site that begins with https is a secure site. A secure site means that the data you send over the internet is encrypted so no one except the receiving party can decode the information you send. Anytime you do any online transactions involving money the site should be a secured one.
Here is one final word of caution on security. We all get a barrage of e-mails on a daily basis. Check the e-mail address of the sender before you click on any link or open any attachment. It's unfortunate that we have to be a bit paranoid, but scammers are so sophisticated that they can duplicate the look of any company. Two things to look at. Is the domain section of their e-mail reflective of the company? An email from Amazon or Paypal is not going to come from a "Hotmail" or "Yahoo" account. Secondly, when you hover over a link in an email the URL will show up prior to clicking on it. If the URL doesn't match - don't click. These easy tips will help you to protect yourself at all times online.
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