Safe Computing Advice

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Keep your computer updated at all times and don’t forget third party applications such as Adobe, Flash, and Java. Some of the third party applications don’t get updated automatically.

It’s important to log out of your account when using public computers, by not doing so, you are putting yourself at risk because other people will be able to view and access you account.

Imagine a situation, Jack is a student and a frequent online shopper. He uses his credit card information to purchase something online but he forgets to log out when he leaves. Here comes Steve and Mike. Mike uses the same computer Jack used and sees his credit card information. The both know what they gonna do with it – a brand new home theater system for themselves at Jack’s expense. Jack gets his credit card statement and he is definitely not very happy.

Remember to choose strong passwords instead of weak passwords. Weak passwords are like leaving your keys in your door, allowing anyone to access your personal space or information. Strong passwords greatly reduce that risk because they have a minimum 9 characters, including upper and lower case letters, numbers zero through nine and some unique symbols such as the pound or dollar signs.

One more situation to imagine, Freda is going to use the public computer to check her email. She gets a popup asking her if she would like to save her password. Freda thinks and finally she decides to say No. Good job Freda.

Never open suspicious email attachments. Hackers use email attachments to send viruses to computers. An email virus can destroy files on your hard drive and resend itself to other users. It can also steal your sensitive information and turn your computer into zombie.

You must definitely use antivirus software and update it regularly too. If you still do not have any program, carefully read several reviews before installing it and choose something according to your needs.