Safe Computing Tips

While these steps are not foolproof, they will go a long way towards extending the life of your machine and protecting the valuable information contained on it.

Keep your computer updated

1.  In the evolving world of software viruses, it is essential that computer owners use anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date.  Most anti-virus software gives the user the ability to do automatic updates.

2.  Whether individuals choose to update their operating system software automatically or manually, we recommend making it a continuous process.  It is also important to keep other software on your computer updated.  Software updates often include essential bug fixes and security features that address existing vulnerabilities.

3.  Enable the personal firewall on your computer. This will help to keep unauthorized people from snooping around your computer when it’s connected to the Internet. 

Create strong, secure passwords

There is power in strong passwords.  We recommend passwords that contain at least 8 characters with a combination of letters, numbers and symbols.  Strong passwords are less likely to be hacked than very generic passwords.  Use creative pass-phases to avoid having to write down a password.  Do not share your passwords with anyone.

Back up important data

We have seen final papers vanish—hard drives crash and files become corrupt.  If you have important information that you cannot afford to lose, back it up.  We recommend that you store this information securely and even consider storing extra copies at another location.

Limit information on social media sites

People will post almost anything on social media site.  For many people, birth dates, anniversaries, addresses, phone numbers, and a lot of other personal information can be found on social media sites.  Protect yourself from identity theft and other scams by limiting what information you disclose online and who can see that information. 

Log off any public areas

Remember when using a public computer or network, it is just that…public.  Be sure that you completely log off the site or machine when you are finished using it.  Users should be especially mindful to uncheck boxes that will remember users’ login information when logging into online services, such as email and bank accounts. 

11 tips for social networking safety

Social networking websites like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and Windows Live Spaces are services people can use to connect with others to share information like photos, videos, and personal messages. As the popularity of these social sites grows, so do the risks of using them. Hackers, spammers, virus writers, identity thieves, and other criminals follow the traffic.

Read these tips to help protect yourself when you use social networks.

1. Use caution when you click links that you receive in messages from your friends on your social website. Treat links in messages on these sites as you would links in email messages.

2. Know what you've posted about yourself. A common way that hackers break into financial or other accounts is by clicking the "Forgot your password?" link on the account login page. To break into your account, they search for the answers to your security questions, such as your birthday, home town, high school class, or mother's middle name. If the site allows, make up your own password questions, and don't draw them from material anyone could find with a quick search.

3. Don't trust that a message is really from who it says it's from. Hackers can break into accounts and send messages that look like they're from your friends, but aren't. If you suspect that a message is fraudulent, use an alternate method to contact your friend to find out. This includes invitations to join new social networks.

4. To avoid giving away email addresses of your friends, do not allow social networking services to scan your email address book. When you join a new social network, you might receive an offer to enter your email address and password to find out if your contacts are on the network. The site might use this information to send email messages to everyone in your contact list or even everyone you've ever sent an email message to with that email address. Social networking sites should explain that they're going to do this, but some do not.

5. Type the address of your social networking site directly into your browser or use your personal bookmarks. If you click a link to your site through email or another website, you might be entering your account name and password into a fake site where your personal information could be stolen.

6. Be selective about who you accept as a friend on a social network. Identity thieves might create fake profiles in order to get information from you.

7. Choose your social network carefully. Evaluate the site that you plan to use and make sure you understand the privacy policy. Find out if the site monitors content that people post. You will be providing personal information to this website, so use the same criteria that you would to select a site where you enter your credit card.

8. Assume that everything you put on a social networking site is permanent. Even if you can delete your account, anyone on the Internet can easily print photos or text or save images and videos to a computer.

9. Be careful about installing extras on your site. Many social networking sites allow you to download third-party applications that let you do more with your personal page. Criminals sometimes use these applications to steal your personal information. To download and use third-party applications safely, take the same safety precautions that you take with any other program or file you download from the web.

10. Think twice before you use social networking sites at work.

11. Talk to your kids about social networking.

5 Common Computer Security Mistakes

Computer security mistakes can be a painful and costly experience. The good news is that with a bit of thought, planning and vigilance you can effectively protect yourself. Here are 5 common computer security mistakes to avoid.

No Antivirus/antispyware software.

The key facet of this element of computer protection is keeping your software and virus definitions up to date. Most worthwhile anti-malware programs (the term “malware” includes viruses, spyware, Trojan horses, keystroke loggers and other forms of malicious software) make it easy to check the date of your last update and to easily launch the update process manually.
Since most anti-malware/antivirus software is sold on an annual basis you need to purchase a new license each year. If you let your license lapse you will be unprotected against any new malware. So even if you have an active antivirus program, but it expired six months ago, you will not be protect from any new viruses or malware that were released in the last six months since it expired. A definite security mistake.

No Firewall software.

Some people feel that having an antivirus program is all they need. A definite computer security mistake. Firewall software acts as a filter to protect your computer from malware and intruders. If some form of malware does get on your computer, firewall software can prevent malicious programs from connecting to the Internet.
Like antivirus software, the firewall software must be updated regularly. This is all the more reason to use an Internet security suite which ties these two important elements together for updating and renewing. At the very least, make sure that the built in Windows Firewall is enabled.

Not keeping Microsoft Windows, Office and Internet Explorer up to date through the Microsoft Updates process.

Microsoft produces software updates, patches and bug fixes for its products on a regular basis. Updates are free and can be manually downloaded or Windows can be set to automatically download and install them. Periodically Microsoft combines a group of these “updates,” adds some additional functionality and features, and delivers them in what is known as a Service Pack (SP). We strongly recommend that you install all service packs as they become available.
It is strongly recommended that you keep current with the latest version of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer web browser which is now up to version 9.0. At the very least no one should still be using Internet Explorer 6.0 as it presents serious security compromises to a computer. If you use the Mozilla Firefox browser, which is an excellent alternative to Internet Explorer, be sure to keep up with the latest updates and version through Firefox Updates.

No Email Spam Filter.

As most users are aware email spam is a huge culprit in the spreading of malicious software. Have a good spam blocking program and have it set to a high enough level. Some email packages such as Outlook, Yahoo mail and Gmail have built in spam blocking/capturing functionality. If your email program does not provide effective spam blocking there are a number of effective and relatively inexpensive spam blocking programs available from third party software publishers.

It is important to remember that spam filters are not 100% effective and some junk will get through. It is best to follow some email self-protection rules of thumb including:

1. Do not open email or email attachments unless you know who they are from.

2. Never download an attached file from an email that you weren’t expecting to receive.

3. Never click on “Unsubscribe” on an email that you suspect to be spam or junk mail. This will just tell spammers that your email address is active and you will likely end up getting more junk mail.

4. Never click on an email attachment with an .exe file extension such as “myfile.exe”. These are program files and clicking on them will begin running a program that could be nasty.

5. Never click on a link within a suspected spam email – just delete the message immediately.

Not keeping your various security components up to date.

This was mentioned earlier in this post and regardless of the specific parts and pieces that make up your security solution you need to pay attention to them periodically to make sure everything is up to date and functioning correctly. While most security components are updated automatically it is highly recommended that you check occasionally to make sure that these updates are taking place and that your components are up to date. New viruses, spyware and other security threats are released almost daily. If your software expires or gets out of date, your system becomes susceptible to new threats.


There are a number of elements that play a role in keeping your computer secure. Making sure you have the five items above covered will provide a significant level of protection. As mentioned in #5, vigilance is a key. It is also important to take immediate action if you think you have been infected. Letting a potential malware infestation go for days or weeks will make the problem worse and provide an opportunity for additional forms of malware to be downloaded onto your computer. Awareness of your computer and Internet security programs and settings will play an important role in keeping your computer and your network secure.

Basics for safer downloading

Whenever you download a file—whether you open a spreadsheet attached to an email message, grab a cool little screensaver or mouse cursor from the web, or download music or video files from someone else's computer—you could be putting your computer at risk.

You can take some basic steps to protect your PC and your company's network:

Firewalls.
These include hardware or software that checks information coming from the Internet and either turns it away or lets it pass. Firewalls are built into Windows XP Service Pack 2 and all later versions of the Windows operating system.

Antivirus protection.
Viruses, worms, and Trojan horses are programs that use the Internet to infect vulnerable computers. Microsoft Security Essentials offers free, real-time protection for your PC against malicious software. Or choose an antivirus program from a list of Microsoft partners who provide anti-malware software.

Spyware protection.
Spyware can display ads and pop-ups, collect information, and change your computer settings or default home page without you knowing about it. Use Windows Defender, which is available as a free download for Windows XP Service Pack 2 and is built into later versions of Windows. Or install your own antispyware program.

Software updates.
Regular updates to Windows help protect your computer against new viruses and other security threats. Be sure you're using the latest version of your web browser, and turn on the browser's security features.

Email spam filters.
Microsoft Outlook includes a junk email filter, as do many other email programs, along with additional features that can help block unwanted messages, disable links, and warn you about threatening content.

What do you do when an urgent message pops up on your PC saying you have a virus?

What do you do when an urgent message pops up on your PC saying you have a virus? The infection warning message might recommend you download a software package that looks legitimate; but it isn’t. This is a scam attempting to collect your money and personal and financial information.

Here’s your best defense against fake anti-virus software packages:
• Install a reputable anti-virus software package and only use it to scan your PC.
• Do not purchase anti-virus packages from a pop-up on your screen.
• Be very familiar with the way your anti-virus package looks and behaves.

Some great free antivirus programs are AVG and Microsoft Security Essentials.

Free texting apps can cut your bill

If you're paying big bucks for a text messaging plan, we want you to reduce that expense to zero pennies a month in your life! There are a number of apps available for free text messaging if you're a smart phone user.

Did you know the number of text messages sent in the United States last year was over 2 trillion? And the younger someone is, the more likely that all they do is texting and very little talking on the phone.

That's caused some cell phone companies to see this as a huge revenue source. To give you an example, AT&T has now gone to a $20/month text plan in a rate hike. (Or you can go on a family plan.) But they're both a waste of your money all around for two reasons.

First, there are practically zero expenses involved for the cell companies in delivering text messages. The technology sits on top of the already existing telecomm platform. Second, you can download free apps to your smart phone and text for nada while bypassing the cell company's own systems.

Both CNNMoney.com and The Los Angeles Times ran recent stories about some apps that you should consider giving a try.

As CNNMoney explains, "Dozens of [apps] offer 'free' text messaging services, which allow wireless customers to send and receive texts by piggybacking on their existing data plans. That means people who download [these apps]…are able to bypass the expensive texting plans offered by wireless companies."

Give these a try:



•BelugaPods.com

•Disco.com
•
Google Voice
•
GroupMe.com

•Kik.com

•textPlus.com



You may have also heard that Apple will have its own free app for easy interoperable text messaging for called iMessage coming soon. And Facebook already has something similar called Facebook Messenger.

So go through your cell bill. If you are throwing away your money -- and for an AT&T customer that can be $240 a year down the toilet -- take that money put it in your pocket (unless you are a stock holder of AT&T and want to increase your stock value!)

The day you should pay for text messaging is never. Try out these free choices. If you're happy, cancel the rip off text messaging plans from the big cell companies.

Useful Windows Tricks

1. Don't just maximize your windows—go full screen

When you need a really big window for viewing photos and videos, don't just maximize it: go full screen! This tip works great for viewing photos and videos at maximum size in Windows Explorer or Windows Media Player, utilizing screen space usually occupied by the header at the top of the screen and the taskbar at the bottom. Here’s how:

Open any photo in Windows Explorer, or open a photo or video clip in Windows Media Player. Do one of the following:

In Windows 7 and Windows XP, click the F11 key at the top of your keyboard.

The photo or video image enlarges to its maximum size and the title bar and taskbar are hidden.


To undo full-screen mode and restore the window to its normal view, press the Esc (Escape) key at the top of your keyboard


2. Customize the Navigation pane

You can use the navigation pane (the left pane) to find files and folders and display links to frequently used folders and other items. You can also move or copy items to a destination in the navigation pane.

If you don't see the navigation pane on the left side of an open folder window, click Organize, point to Layout, and then click Navigation pane to display it.

To customize the navigation pane in Windows 7
In an open folder or library window, click Organize, and then click Folder and search options.

In the Folder Options dialog box, click the General tab, and then do one or both of the following:

To show all the folders on your computer in the navigation pane, including your personal folder, select the Show all folders check box, click Apply to see the change, and then click OK.

To automatically expand the navigation pane to the folder that's selected in the folder window, select the Automatically expand to current folder check box, and then click OK.


More ways to customize your favorites in Windows 7

To add a folder, a saved search, a library, or even a drive as a favorite, drag it to the Favorites section in the navigation pane. Note: You can’t add individual file to Favorites, but you can add them to any folder in Favorites.

To change the order of favorites, drag a favorite to a new position in the list.

To restore the default favorites in the navigation pane, right-click Favorites, and then click Restore Favorite Links.

To view the folder where your favorites are stored, click Favorites in the navigation pane. Favorites are stored as shortcuts.

To remove a favorite, right-click the favorite, and then click Remove. This removes the favorite from the navigation pane—it doesn't delete the files or folders that the shortcut points to.


Add folders and files in Windows Vista

In Windows Vista, you can add folders to Favorite Links in the navigation pane so that you can open them from any folder window at any time. To do this, first open the folder that contains the subfolder you want to add. Then simply drag its icon from the original folder to where you want it in the navigation pane. You can also click Folders at the bottom of the pane and drag a folder from the folder list up into the Favorite Links section of the pane. Note: You can’t add individual files to Favorite Links, but you can add them to any folder in Favorite Links.




3. Pin a program or items to the Windows 7 taskbar

You know what would make a great taskbar? One where you could pin your favorite applications or files so that you could open them quickly from any window at any time. Guess what? You can.

In Windows 7, you can also pin shortcuts for favorite or frequently used files, folders, and websites to the Jump Lists for each of those programs to the taskbar.

Pin a program to the taskbar

To pin a program shortcut to the taskbar, do one of the following:

If the program is already running, right-click the program's button on the taskbar (or drag the button toward the desktop) to open the program’s Jump List, and then click Pin this program to taskbar.

Or if the program isn't running, click Start, find the program’s icon, right-click the icon, and then click Pin to Taskbar.

You can also pin a program by dragging the program's shortcut from the desktop or Start menu to the taskbar.