How to Be Safe on the Internet

1. Method 1 of 3: Protect Your Identity

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      Don’t use lazy passwords. Choosing password or 1234 is like putting a luggage lock on the front door of your house. Also, people will be able to guess it and hack. Instead, come up with a longer password that contains both letters and numbers/characters, preferably one that references something significant only to you. For example, if the name of your beloved childhood goldfish was Sir Bubbles, swap out some of the letters for numbers and you can end up with a very nice password like s1rbubb735 that only you understand. Make sure to write all of your passwords down as well.
      • Never use the same password for different accounts. If you don’t want to come up with and keep track of dozens of different passwords, come up with a base password (ex. s1rbubb735) and tack a logical modifier onto it for each account (ex. on Amazon, use amzns1rbubb735; on Gmail, use gmails1rbubb735 or for Twitter twitt1rubb735).
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   When signing up for / installing / agreeing to anything, read the fine print. If you do not want to receive junk mail or get put on a telemarketer list, look for a small box near the bottom of the page that asks if you want to receive information and offers from other companies. The best sites will have a statement listed that they will not sell your name to other companies (though they may still spam you themselves). Some sites require you to give all your information to get the product. Only fill in required fields that are marked with an*. If the info box does not have an asterisk, it is optional and you can leave it blank.
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   Do not give out your full name, address, or phone number to anyone online that you don't trust or know in person. This especially important in chatrooms or when negotiating jobs or deals through meet-up sites. Beware of stock letters (i.e. very general response letters that don’t actually address any of the points you’ve made), anyone who wants to negotiate a wire transfer, or anyone who wants to work out a business arrangement while they’re “abroad.” Read How to Avoid Scams on Craigslist and How to Avoid Internet Dating Scams for more details.
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   Keep your eyes peeled for online scams. Beware of spoof email claiming to be from eBay, PayPal, or a bank or a company you trust asking for personal or sensitive information. This is called phishing. The e-mail may inform you that there is a problem with your account/password. There may be a link to click inside. Forward any of these e-mails to the company it claims to be sent from. They will confirm whether the e-mail you received was real or not. Also, bear in mind that e-mail programs like Yahoo!, MSN, Hotmail and Gmail will never ask you for your e-mail password. Don't fall for it. Read How to Protect Yourself from Phishing Scams for more information.

Method 2 of 3: Protect Your Connection

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   Make sure you are using (and regularly updating) an anti-virus program, an anti-spyware program, and a firewall. You can use either the firewall that comes standard with your operating system or a third-party software program to your liking. Don’t use two firewalls at once, as they can interfere with / weaken one another.
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   When using a public wireless network, make sure to turn off file sharing and network discovery. These both put your files and system at risk for being opened byanyone on the wireless network, not just hackers. In Windows, these options can be found under Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. In Mac OS X, they are under System Preferences > Sharing. If you are within range of public wireless networks but don’t need to be online, turn off your wireless capabilities altogether. On some devices, there is simply an on/off switch; on others, you will need to configure this yourself (ex. on a Mac, click the Wi-Fi icon and turn off AirPort).
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   Always check for secure transaction info. The best companies will have many security devices in place. You may see a gold lock at the bottom of the page to indicate a secure site. When giving any bank details or other information, make sure the connection is secure (URLs like this begin with https:// instead of http://) and the site is trustworthy. (Not every site which runs HTTPS or accepts payments is trustworthy, even if the connection is.)
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   Configure your browsers to filter out or block inappropriate content, especially if you have children. Read How to Restrict Web Browsing Using Internet Explorer / Block Websites on Firefox / Block a Website on Mac if necessary.

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   Only download files or software from sites that have been rated/verified by trusted sources. Choose downloading resources that are up-front about price and ratings and vet their downloads (ex. download.cnet.com). When in doubt, google the name of the site or download along with the word “scam” to see if you get any hits. Do not download illegally (copyrighted material without paying for it).
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   Never open e-mail attachments from strangers unless you can trust them and have security settings on your computer. Some junk e-mails may contain viruses or spyware that can harm your computer. These e-mails may be automatically marked as "spam" or "junk," but virus-ridden emails from unwitting friends can also slip through.
• If you use an email program like Outlook or Thunderbird, make sure to disable attachment previews. These take away your ability to decide whether or not to open an attachment. Look through your email program’s settings and disable options such as Show Attachment Previews, Display Attachments Inline, etc.

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