The majority of Internet security risk factors can be controlled with the right tools, the right attitude (a willingness to learn and apply the necessary strategies), and the desire to become proactive versus reactive. Keeping your computer free from badware, malware, botnets, viruses, adware, and a host of other nasties plays an important role in extending some decent net etiquette. 

If you think of  surfing the web as an Interstate and the computers that frequent the web as vehicles – driving a stable vehicle on the Interstate is integral to highway safety. Would you feel safer driving next to a car that is well maintained with a current safety inspection sticker intact, or would you feel safer driving next to that dilapidated hunk-of-junk with four bald tires and no safety inspection sticker?

10 Ways To Protect Your PC

 1-Back-up: How and why you should back up your personal computer.

Though this is one of the most neglected areas of computer maintenance,  it is essential to have a clean back-up source if your system has a hard disk failure (crashes) or your data and system files become compromised by a virus.

2-Use strong passwords: Check your password at Microsoft, is it strong?

A weak password such as 123456, password, abc123, or using your first name or pet’s name as your password is the Achilles heel of online security. Passwords are your first line of defense against cybercriminals. Create complex passwords for each site (do not share the same password at multiple sites), change them frequently and create accounts at sites that use good encryption.

3-Use a firewall: What is a firewall?

A firewall is a barrier that can keep destructive forces (hackers, malicious software) from the Internet away from your computer.It can also stop your computer from sending malicious programs to other computers.

4-Use Anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date.  

New viruses and malware is created everyday, so it is important that you keep your definitions updated.

5-Use a reputable malware scanner. Malwarebytes is highly recommended.

6-Don’t use an administrative account to browse the web

Create a new user account with limited rights to surf the web. Since malware requires administrative rights to run on the system – using a nonadministrative account will not enable malicious software to install on your system.

7-Keep your PC operating systems and programs updated.  Secunia PSI is an excellent [Free] option that keeps third-party software updated.

Windows Vista and Windows 7

To turn on Automatic Updates yourself, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, type Windows update in the search box, and then click Windows Update in the Programs list.
2. In the left pane, click Change settings.
3. Select the option that you want.
4. Under Recommended updates, select the Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates or Include recommended updates when downloading, installing, or notifying me about updates check box, and then click OK. –Microsoft Support

8-Never download pirated software 

According to The Dangerous world of Counterfeit and Pirated Software, pirated and counterfeit software (i.e. unlicensed software and bogus software pretending to be genuine) has become one of the most reliable fast-tracks to the risk of malware infection. –NetworkWorld

9-Be responsible with social networking sites.

Social networking sites are rife with rogue apps and Internet scammers that often prey on user’s to spread their wares via permissions granted by the user. With a little education anyone can stay on top of the bad stuff and have a better Internet experience overall.

Subscribing to the Sophos Security Blog and FaceCrooks will keep you aware of the seedy and unsavory side of social media, along with providing great tips on how to stay safe online.

10-Use a layered approach when surfing the web.

As an example of using a layered approach: You would use a Internet Security Suite to take care of your antivirus needs, an anti-malware product installed such as Malwarebytes, Secunia PSI to check for vulnerabilities, a link scanner like McAfee SiteAdvisor and use Cocoon to anonymize and protect your web browsing sessions.

 “Layered security is about multiple types of security measures, each protecting against a different vector for attack.” — Chad Perrin, TechRepublic

When you browse the web it is easy to land on an unsavory site or get hit by a drive-by-download. Today, the virtual threat landscape needs more protection than an antivirus suite or antimalware application. Many exploits utilize 3rd party browser plugins (Flash, Adobe Reader) and if your operating system or browser has a vulnerability – it can easily become an open door that invites hackers in.

By following the above 10 tips, you will be able to minimize the impact that hackers and malicious software can have on your PC.

Do you have more PC Internet safety tips to offer? Please leave a comment at our blog or let us know on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Pinterest.

“It has been well-documented that low self-esteem, depression, poor academic achievement, truancy and suicide are all associated with being bullied.” 
–Jacqueline M. Reid | Associate Director, ADL Santa Barbara/Tri-Counties Region

For those who have been victimized by cyberbullying – the digital terrain appears rough, unscalable and treacherous. Each day you wake up never really knowing what taunts or threats will appear on Facebook or some other social media site. You simply know that you have been targeted by an individual or their sheep-mob to suffer humiliation in varying degrees to further their derogatory agenda.

Your heart may be pounding and you may have tears in your eyes as you read hurtful dialogues and accusations against you. Yes indeed, it can be quite painful and at this moment in time (when you read their slime), it literally sucks to be you!

I’m Raising My Hand Here

I’ve been there, done it and lived it in one form or another! In my lifetime (though not as a teen) – I’ve been targeted online by cyberstalkers, cyberbullys and people who often did not agree with something I blogged about. It comes with the territory. Back in Usenet days we called them trolls.

One of the vilest trolls that I ever encountered online was while I was working in Library systems support at a liberal arts college in New England (2004). My troll knew where I lived, where I worked, the specific model and license plate of my car and the parking lot that I used. He thought he had me hook, line and sinker, (yes, he was male and was stalking me from an online technical forum that I frequented).

Taking Action

Though I was quite troubled by my attacker (troll), I did take action. How did I do this?

1. I filed a police report
2. I contacted the tech forum administrators
3. I moved from my home residence to an undisclosed location and obtained a post office box
4. I did not personally respond to any of his threats (these were addressed via third party involvement).

Does this sound a little too extreme? In my eyes, this troll was too close to home. He knew where I lived and where I worked and it could have become quite personal in nature – to the point of a real life encounter. Back in 2004 we did not have Internet privacy tools like Cocoon or Abine for online protection!

Let’s get back to the heart of the matter

YOU! You read that right! YOU are the one who is under attack and for whatever reason YOU are the one who is suffering from unmitigated abuse from an attacker(s) that gives few rhymes or reasons for the attack(s).

Your attacker(s) desire to get inside your head and remain there

The one thing they are counting on is your FEAR. They are anticipating that you will buckle beneath their their online threats and cater to their prescribed scripts. It does not have to be that way because you have the power to counteract their self-serving scripts. Here is how you can accomplish this:

1. Never acknowledge or respond to any online threats that they make
2. Record all of their threats (via screen capture or via whatever means you have.)
3. File a local police report if they are physically threatening to harm you
4. Make your family and friends aware of the fact that you have been attacked online
5. Contact your school guidance counselor

Available Reporting Resources

There appears to be very few resources online where you can report actual cyberbullying threats. Currently, you can fill out a report at CyberbullyingReport.com (a free service available to anyone with a valid email address) as long as you agree to their Cyberbullying Report usage terms. You can also visit the National Bullying Prevention Center.

Where to go from here?

Stay strong – you do not stand alone. A Florida mom was recently arrested for allegedly choking a 14-year-old bully over Facebook posts about her daughter. Though this action was rather inappropriate for an adult – issues of cyberbullying sometimes lack clear borders.

The End Of Bullying Begins With Us

Seventeen contributing editor Demi Lovato speaks out against cyberbullying in this video:

If you are currently under attack from a cyberbully – reach out and ask for help now!

Any developer can create an application on Facebook and some of these applications can wreak havoc on your wall and on the walls of your friends and family. Though Facebook applications do not have direct access to your computer from Facebook they can be coded to prompt you to access an external website that may be able to install malware on your computer if you have vulnerability in your operating system or browser.

It is important that you be highly selective in the apps that you choose to install. If the app is an unknown, this should raise a red flag immediately.

More Red Flags

-The app does not have a fanpage and even if they do have a fanpage, there is little or no information available when you check the info or the page about tab.

-Requests too much permission such as permission to post to Facebook chat or to manage your events

-If the about page  suggests that you  copy strange looking code into your browser address bar

-The app has no link to a company website or a privacy policy and the developer is unknown.

You can review all of the potential permissions that an application could request at the Facebook developer site here. Some of the extended API permissions are quite scary:

-read_mailbox:  This gives permission for the app to read your Facebook mail.

-xmapp_login:  This gives the app permission to integrate with Facebook chat and login a user.

-publish_stream: This gives the app permission to comment, like and post to the user stream and on the walls of anyone on your friend list.

Be sure to check over at Facecrooks for an excellent article on how to protect your Facebook account from these types of apps.

The Internet has long been a place where people from the furthest corners of the planet meet to conduct their necessary or not-so-necessary business. Despite the wide range of uses the web provides, its abundant users remain infinitely diverse in technical ability. Cyber criminals will stop at nothing to find the perfect candidate for theft. Everything from the technically un-savvy to the cash-heavy to the flat out reckless is observed, analyzed, and targeted. Fraudsters have found that seniors who use the Internet are often more likely to fit the criteria they’re looking for in their next victim.

A 2010 study conducted by Infogroup/ORC found that 1 in every 5 Americans over the age of 65 has already been victimized by financial fraud. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, more than 1 million seniors were targeted by identity thieves in 2010.

The FBI has made various determinations in assessing the root of the issue, some of which include:

• Seniors tend to be more trusting, which increases their likelihood of being   scammed.
• They are known to be less tech-savvy, which increases their chances of being   targeted by identity thieves and other cyber criminals.
• They’re more likely to have equity, which makes them a desirable target.

Aside from following some of the guidelines highlighted in part 6 and part 7 of our “Online Pickpockets” blog series, you can check out the FBI’s extensive list of tips to consider while browsing the web.

Retirees are particularly vulnerable as they’ve often ceased production of capital and rely solely on their savings. It’s time to wake up and protect what so many have worked their whole lives to create. In the year and a half since the Infogroup study was conducted, the number of seniors victimized by online fraud has undoubtedly grown. We need to educate those who are new to the Internet, and preserve the nest eggs of targeted seniors.

Society has an obligation to protect our children and online safety for children should be a priority. We need a three-pronged approach to address this issue: policy changes; industry self-regulation; and more parental tools, monitoring and education. –Vernon Irvin, President and COO, Virtual World Computing | Huffington Post

Recently, a friend of mine took a vacation in Mexico. While out on a day trip she was stopped by an unscrupulous cop who demanded a bribe. The payout was all the cash that she had in her wallet. Had she planned ahead, she would have secured some hidden cash in her trunk, placed minimal cash in her wallet and placed a small emergency stash in her glove box. If she had done her research she would have known that cops in Mexico are underpaid and tourists are an easy source of income.

Having little or no Internet knowledge can greatly impede Internet security concerns and expose users to viruses, malware, botnets, rootkits, and a host of other vulnerabilities. It can also expose users to cybercriminals and the less savory sections of the Internet.

Social networking sites are rife with rogue apps that often prey on user profiles to spread their wares via permissions granted by the user. With a little education anyone can stay on top of the bad stuff and have a better Internet experience overall.

Internet 101

Always keep your computer, anti-virus, software, anti-malware and browsers updated. Use the Secunia PSI security tool to detect vulnerable and outdated programs.

Use strong passwords and never use the same password at every site. Do not become dependent on using just one security suite as the total answer for all of your Internet security needs. Any single defense can be flawed. Instead, you should rely upon a combination of security products and strategies (a layered approach) to effectively manage Internet security.

As an example: You would use a Internet Security Suite to take care of your antivirus needs, an anti-malware product installed such as Malwarebytes, Secunia PSI to check for vulnerabilities, a link scanner like McAfee SiteAdvisor and Cocoon or TOR to anonymize and protect your web browsing sessions.

 “Layered security is about multiple types of security measures, each protecting against a different vector for attack.” — Chad Perrin, TechRepublic

 More resources to add to your Internet safety toolkit:

The Edublogger: A complete guide to web, Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus privacy and security!

We all have a digital footprint – a permanent record of where we have been and what we have done on the interwebs.

It is a good idea to regularly do a health check of that digital footprint. [Source]

StaySafeOnline.org as in STOP. THINK. CONNECT.

Own your online presence: When available, set the privacy and security settings on websites to your comfort level for information sharing. It’s ok to limit who you share information with.

Protect all devices that connect to the Internet: Along with computers, smart phones, gaming systems, and other web-enabled devices also need protection from viruses and malware. [Source]

From the Washington State Office of the Attorney General for adults, seniors and teens.

Adults: Look for the site’s privacy policy.  These should answer your questions about how they treat personal information, how your information will be used, whether third parties will have access to your information, assurances about the accuracy of the information on their Web site, their level of security, and so on.  If you can’t easily find the site’s privacy policy GO ELSEWHERE.

Seniors: In the online world, unless you know for sure with whom you are dealing, you must assume that you could have landed on a ‘look-a-like’ site trying to scam you.

Teens:  Every piece of information you post, and every action you take online has commercial value to someone. [Source]

Learn about Parry Aftab’s new approach to cybersafety – Internet Safety 1-2-3.

Take the quiz from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children - Know the Rules®…Internet Safety Quiz for Adults and stop by Facebook and let us know how you did!

Brought to you via the Friendly Cocoon Team!