In my previous blogs, I probably sound like I might have
trust issues going on and maybe I do, but that’s another blog. Let me tell you this time, how you can
protect yourself when using this new technology.
There is so much we do online with our phones, laptops, home
desktops, even computers at school. We
are using wireless everywhere we go. We
know, or at least we trust whoever installed our wireless networks at home, but
as we travel along on our daily routines we are using public networks to connect
to the internet. We are staying connected
all day long. Something to keep in mind
is to remember, anyone who goes online can get hacked.
I did some research on what you can do to keep your online
internet jaunts more secure. Here are a
few:
1.
Don’t
share your passwords. This means
using the same password for all of your accounts, banking, social media email,
etc…. I know these sounds like a pain,
but trust me it will save you a big hassle if a hacker gets ahold of your
password and can use it for everything related to you. Passwords should be different for all of your
accounts, if you have a hard time doing that, make sure your email password is
very unique and secure because for most of us it is our lifeline and if they
get that, they could reset all of your other accounts.
2. Remember to change your passwords and make them
long. At the University of Northern
Iowa, we use a passphrase, which is a long password. Hackers are looking for that simple
combination of birthdates, kids’ names, pet names or whatever. There are software packages out there that
can scan a large number of passwords to find what can work. The length is more important than the
complexity.
3. Keep your system and programs updated.
The most abused programs by hackers are Acrobat PDF reader, Microsoft and
Java. The updates or new releases often
times contain patches that can keep the hackers out. Programs could contain malware that give the
hacker a door to get to your computer, so if you have old programs that you don’t
use, uninstall them.
4. Make sure to have a good antivirus program. There are a lot of good antivirus programs
out there, and a good free one that is recommended is Microsoft Security
Essentials. I protects you from spyware,
malware, and viruses
5. Make sure you only visit secured sites. Have you ever, or did you know that when you
visit a site with “http” it not secure?
Look for the sites that have “https” the “s” at the end stands for
secure. There is an add-on that will safeguard
you and tries to direct you to an https site called HTTPS Everywhere. You can download and install this free
add-on at https://eff.org/https-everywhere
for Chrome, Firefox, and Firefox for Android and Opera.
6. Be careful of what you download. Remember there is no such thing as free,
More than likely if it is at a discount or free it probably has some sort of
malware in it. Try to buy it conventionally
or through the manufacturer’s website, not through links.
7. Be alert of what apps you put on your
phone. Whatever you may think is a good
deal for only 99 cents could have been designed by a hacker anywhere in the
world. Stick to only reputable app
stores for the platform your phone uses, and even then be cautious. Just don’t download an app just because it’s
free, use the Google Play store for apps. Never, ever click on the box in ‘settings’
that allows the installation of settings from unknown sources.
I hope that these can make you start to think about how you
might be vulnerable to hackers. Do
everything you can to protect your personal accounts and your identity.
Be safe out there!!!!
Posted By: Jeff Trangsrud
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