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SECURITY AND SAFEGUARDS -- Virtual and Real-World
Just some quick and simple thoughts to help add in the awareness of security and safeguarding personal information and data...
REAL WORLD SHOPPING TIPS
Only carry cards you need everyday in your wallet or purse. When leaving your house, consider which cards you need to bring with you for that trip or errand. And for the cards at home, keep them secured (and hidden).
Don't just keep a list of cards and numbers at home in a secure place, but update them regularly. Place a reminder in your Calendar program.
Shredding junk mail from your mailbox (anything with identifying info should be shredded, that is, if its not being retained for record-keeping purposes such as paperwork to cover IRS tax returns). Even information that you don't know is valuable. The "Better safe than sorry" cliche says that you should remove all traces of information from anything that contains information relating to you.
Junk mail in your curbside mailbox - don't want it? There are places to go where you can opt in to an opt out junk mail list. Places such as the Federal Trade Commission / For The Consumer / FTC Consumer Act web page. This would be akin to the nationwide telemarketer phone number opt out list. And although attempts to unsubscribe from junk e-mail will most likely only get you on more lists, these phone and junk mail opt out lists might just pass the mustard without spilling (but if not, you can certainly get another shirt). Good news is, with junk snail mail, someone is actually paying for it to arrive in your mailbox. That means jobs. National jobs. And jobs are good. Junk e-mail on the other hand is relatively free to the senders who clog up our network systems and internet. However, that rage is a bit off-topic for now. Digressing, shred your junk mail or opt to not get it at all.
ONLINE SHOPPING TIP
The majority of sites in spam-related industries are mere hoarders, looking for unsuspecting surfers and online shoppers with loose browsers and system security flaws so they can wrap their code around your system and any information it can provide.
That in mind, here's a powerful online shopping tip for you: Have two browsers installed on your computer; one for well known web sites you visit frequently, like GiftsForYou.Biz, and one for finding items where you know pop-usurps, info-grabbers and code-jabbers are well-known. Such are sites as lyrics, clip-art, cell phone accessories, pharmaceuticals, and even medical research on specific medical areas that are known for off-topic usurping (pardon the gerund). The browser for spam-related items should have Java, JavaScript, Cookies, and ActiveX scripting all turned off, whereas your 'normal' browser can breathe free and smell the cookies as true customer-centric sites intend them to.
I hope this helps, and that you'll take stock that GiftsForYou.Biz is a 'breathe free' site.
FOR YOUR LOCAL COMPUTER
The following items should be as common in computers as video cards. In other words, you should strongly consider getting them installed and running.
* Firewalls - Software & Hardware (both)
Software - ZoneAlarm and/or NetDefense
Hardware - LinkSys
* Antivirus - definitions
updated every 1-2 days
May I recommend SystemSuite by V-Com?
* Spybot & AdAware (both)
Detect and remove unwanted code installed without your knowledge
* MailWasher
Allows removal of spam "before" it gets to your computer
* Spamcop.Net / Spamhaus.org
Want to feel like you're helping in the battle against spam?
Antivirus should provide static scans, along with real-time and e-mail monitoring. Antivirus definitions should be updated no less than once per week (although I follow my prompt to update mine every day).
A tip regarding program installation - never accept the installation defaults. If you install a program on your computer, you should become at least somewhat familiar with its settings (what its capable of and what its setup to allow ... or deny). A strong example of this was when wireless routers first hit the scene. The default installation had security turned off. Every router installation, a subsequent connected computer, was vulnerable to anyone drifting by your range (e.g., your next door neighbor could walk right in to your computer with hardly an effort).
Your "Program Files" folder should be checked each and every time a new piece of software is installed so you can determine if "other software" came along for the ride (was installed alongside your primary install). Although not always, this is especially prevalent with Freeware or Shareware. GPL software on the other hand typically only installs additional software if the additional software supports the application.
Check your logs for any program that supports them; especially security and system programs. Firewall programs and routers both will show connections coming in and going out. Your operating system has them too; Windows has 3 major event logs under administrative tools (if you have access to them); application, security, and system. Once you start looking over them, you'll start seeing patterns (which will help you notice what might look suspiscious).
Just because no one comes in your house doesn't mean your computer and files should be any less secure. Not only are they wide open if your home was ever robbed, but if anyone were to find their way in through other means, your files are wide open. Consider password protecting your important files; such as accounting and finanicial data. Just pretend you're in an office somewhere others might have local access to your keyboard while you're at lunch. Speaking of lunch, never leave your computer unlocked if you're not at your desk. It can take someone less than a minute to find critical information, destroy your data, or install a virus.
If you use Outlook, and you lock down your PST files, remember to lock down your archive PST files too. However, I'm not sure if Outlook has fixed this yet, but it can't backup to a password protected archive file unless it has already been opened and the password entered.
While browsing your Program Files folder, alert and system logs, and other sections of your computer, spend 5-10 minutes researching something if it doesn't make sense. You don't have to become an expert (I'm certainly not), but the more conscious you are in these regards, the less obvious you'll be.
Browsing/Surfing the Net - Use your favorite browser to visit known sites. But if you're searching for clip-art, lyrics, or doing research on anatomy or gambling, install a second type of browser and turn off Java, Javascript, and Cookies.
If using Outlook, and if you password protect your e-mail file, be sure to password protect any archive files also. But note, auto-archiving won't work unless you activate the archive file before archiving begins. If not already loaded, load your archive file, enter your password, and archiving will work. If it's already loaded by default, when you launch Outlook, click on the archive mail folder, enter your password, and archiving will work.
If running spybot, or some other software that supports it, lock down you "hosts" file. However, in addition, you'll also want to keep your hosts file updated regularly (about once per month). You can find great information on your host file at: http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
Shredding of hard drives and portable media. Yes. That's correct. Not just the junk mail in your mailbox (although anything with identifying info in the junk mail in your mailbox should be shredded too). Hard drives and portable media (such as CDs and Flash cards/drives) can contain valuable information. Even information that you don't know is valuable. Murphy's Law states that you should remove all traces of information from anything that has contained information relating to you. The bad guys already know how to do this. But to keep the bad guys away from you, you should also know.
* Personally, if a portable media is bad, I burn it (safely, but thoroughly). That includes floppies, CDs, DVDs, Flash drives, and any other media that you put information on.
* Hard drives are a different story. Rather than burning them, you'll want to wipe them clean. Physically shredding doesn't do a full job either, 'cause even bits of a clean piece of CD can be read by professionals.
* Shredding drives takes powerful software; yet this software is available for free or cheap. Check out the SourceForge.Net site to find free wiping software (such as the Disc Wipe Utility. It should be government level, and perform overwrites.
WIRELESS
After you install your wireless adapter, router, or access point, step number one is to change the password (if it has one), and make sure it is at least 14 characters long.
For access points, give them a new AP Name. Rename the SSID, and disable the SSID broadcast. Mixed mode and "Open system" are good, and make sure the Wireless Security is enabled using WPA (at least). WEP is not considered secure anymore as it can be broken in less than 5 minutes.
If you have a wireless phone, you might want to try different channels if you find it interferes (I had a wireless phone that knocked our laptop off the network no matter what channel was used).
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