Additional TIPS for SAFE-Surfing the Internet

One of my previous articles mentioned ways to keep you safe from the “goons” of the web. I mentioned there five tips:

1. Transact only on your trusted web sites.
2. Look for valid web certificates.
3. Install an antivirus.
4. Do not transact at pubic internet connections.
5. Have a good internet browser.

I have here additional safety tips that can help you minimize the risk of being a victim of cyber crime.

EMAILS

1.Do not open attachments to emails that you do not expect.
Sometimes, you may receive emails from a person you do not know and asks you to see the attached files. BEWARE of this! There is a big risk that these attachments contain malicious programs designed to harm you or your computer. Some malicious programs can steal your private information and use it to commit cyber crime.

2. No to Phishing
Do you sometimes receive emails from someone you do not know containing links to a familiar website? If you do, then you are at risk of being a victim of “phishing”. Phishing uses emails that contain links that direct you to websites that can harm you. Some of these websites can install malicious applications without your knowledge. They may hide the true web address of the site by posting the web address of a known and trusted website.

3.Keep away from spam mails.
Aside from the fact that spamming is illegal, it can also harm you. Some spam messages contain intriguing messages that may convince you to give the information they are asking for. Below is the picture of several spam messages I’ve been receiving for quite a while now. It always mentions that I won from a lottery or that my email was selected as a lucky winner in their raffle draw. They usually ask you to reply immediately with your name, address, bank account number and other personal information.

Question: Is it OK to reply but just don’t give any info?

The answer is NO. It’s actually a bad idea. Some spammers are just guessing email addresses and your reply will just verify the existence of your email. Replying to a spam message may just lead to more spam messages being sent to your mailbox.

BROWSING THE WEB

4. Ctrl-Shift-Del
When you are browsing the web in internet cafes, make sure that before you leave, clear your history and all your browsing data.

In Firefox, Internet Explorer and Chrome browsers that run on Windows, the keyboard shortcut is Ctrl-Shft-Del.

5. I use WOT
I personally find it useful to use the WOT plug-in in Firefox. WOT stands for web of trust. It indicates whether a website is trustworthy or not. When you open an unsafe website, it will pop out and ask you if you are sure to enter the site despite the warning. WOR ratings are based o user inputs.

WOT indicates by color if a website is trustworthy or not. Green is safe and red is dangerous.

More tips on the succeeding articles of this blog. Happy and Safe surfing to everyone!

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