I have said it repeatedly but nothing is private online. But you can take steps to ensure that you are protecting yourself and your identity.
Here are five tips to help protect you and your information:
- Have a unique and distinctive password on your home wireless network. Change it periodically.
- Do not shop or go to your banking sites on an unsecured wireless network, ie when getting coffee.
- When shopping online, check that the url begins with https and not http. You should also see a lock icon in the bottom right h and side of your screen.
- Never send information like your credit card number, driver’s license or SIN number in an email. Even if it is erased it still exists on a server somewhere.
- Have a good antivirus program with a fire wall installed on your computer.
And please consider what you are posting on social networks. When you tell your friends that you are going on vacation you might also inadvertently be telling a bad guy your house is empty.
The internet is a great place to shop, socialize and play. Just make sure you are taking care.
I use KeePass password vault, has it’s own pass generator so you can easily generate and change passwords. One thing I tell everyone around here is to Log yourself out of anywhere, Facebook, Twitter, banking etc,, log out!