Here are a few tips that will help keep you and your computer safe.
1. Check the sender.
Whether there’s an attachment in the email or not, messages from unknown senders can be risky. Often scammers will use safe-looking links or attachments in emails (See: How to Recognize Phishing) to steal your information. Your safest bet is to not open emails from those you don’t know. Now, if you know your daughter Linda is linda_email@yahoo.com and you’ve been expecting pictures from her, the attachment is probably safe. However, a word of caution: Even emails from people you recognize can contain viruses. If it looks suspicious at all (Is the subject line empty? Does the person’s name and email address appear as it normally does?), contact the person and ask them about the message before you open it. (See: Ways to Spot a Virus)
Whether you’re using online banking or just checking email, it’s important to keep your information private and secure. One way to stay protected online is by creating strong passwords. An ideal password is long and has letters, punctuation, symbols and numbers that you can remember without writing down. The more complex your password is, the harder it will be for criminals to guess and gain access to your accounts. Using a different password for each site you use and avoiding sequences (1,2,3 or a,b,c) or information such as your birth date in your password will also help protect your identity and personal data.
You’ve probably heard the adages “You have two ears and only one mouth so you should listen twice as much as you talk” and “Silent and listen contain the same letters.”
Using keyboard shortcuts can greatly increase your productivity, reduce repetitive strain, and help keep you focused. For example, highlighting text with the keyboard and pressing Ctrl + C is much faster than taking your hand from the keyboard, highlighting the text using the mouse, clicking copy from the file menu, and then putting your hand back in place on the keyboard.
Free Wi-Fi is often available from motels hotels, restaurants and shops when you travel. Is it safe to conduct business (banking, business email, etc.) or is there a security risk we should be worried about?
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