No free lunch
A new round of bogus pop-ups offers to scan your computer for infections and vulnerabilities for free. Do not take the bait! By allowing this kind of scan, you may be giving Bad Guys access to your personal information.
Some Tips to Protect against Identity Theft
Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED"; although merchants and their employees are still hit-and-miss on actually checking that ID, more of them are paying attention.
When you order your checks, don't list any telephone number. You can always write it on the check at the time of the transaction. If you have a PO Box, use that instead of your home address or
your work address.
Be aware of which credit cards you carry now have embedded RFID chips because the information on one of those chips can be read surreptitiously by someone near you using a simple hand-held scanner.
Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Store those photo copies in a secure place and refresh it when you change cards.
Get a separate email address for postings
To secure your data and reduce SPAM sent to your business as well as to your private email account, get a dedicated address for internet postings. Never use your business email address for posting guestbook entries, votes, or questions and answers in forums and surveys. It's good to be reachable in these situations, but best to be anonymous.
Be careful with cybercafe computers
Cybercafe's offer a convenient way to use a networked computer when you are away from home or office. But be careful. It's impossible for an ordinary user to tell what the state of their security might be. Since anyone can use them for anything, they have probably been exposed to viruses, worms, Trojans, keyloggers, and other nasty malware. Should you use them at all? They're okay for casual web browsing, but they're NOT okay for connecting to your email, which may contain personal information; to any secure system, like the network or server at your office, bank or credit union; or for shopping online.
Lock it when you leave it
Never leave your computer logged in when you walk away, not even for a minute. Make it a habit to log off your workstation whenever you get up. Remember to always leave your Windows computer by pressing the keyboard shortcut combination of the Windows logo key and the letter "L" on a Microsoft natural keyboard. Get it? Leave Windows by pressing the Windows logo + L keys together to lock it up.
If you weren't expecting an attachment, write back and request that sender embeds text in email
When you see your anti-virus package "scanning" a Word or Excel file, the odds are VERY high that it won't find any of the important new vulnerabilities nation states and rich criminals are using to get past the most sophisticated defenses. Don't open email attachments unless you were expecting them. Send a note back and ask the person to embed the text in a simple email. This matters to your career. The people who break this rule will be the reason their organization's data are stolen and they won't be able to hide.
Keep it off the floor
No matter where you are in public - at a conference, a coffee shop, or a registration desk - avoid putting your laptop on the floor. If you must put it down, place it between your feet or at least up against your leg, so that you're aware of it.
Get it out of the car
Don't leave your laptop in the car - not on the seat, not in the trunk. Parked cars are a favorite target of laptop thieves; don't help them by leaving your laptop unattended. If you must leave your laptop behind, keep it out of sight.
Treat your laptop like cash
If you had a wad of money sitting out in a public place, would you turn your back on it - even for just a minute? Would you put it in checked luggage? Leave it on the backseat of your car? Of course not. Keep a careful eye on your laptop just as you would a pile of cash.
Treat your laptop like you want to keep it
Thinking of taking your laptop on the road? It's a great way to work and stay in touch when you're out and about, but you need to take some steps to keep your laptop safe-and in your possession. Here are some things you can do to keep track of your laptop:
Treat it like cash.
Get it out of the car...don't ever leave it behind.
Keep it locked...use a security cable.
Keep it off the floor...or at least between your feet.
Keep passwords separate...not near the laptop or case.
Don't leave it "for just a sec"...no matter where you are.
Pay attention in airports...especially at security.
Use bells and whistles...if you've got an alarm, turn it on.
When you log out, log out completely
Closing or minimizing your browser or typing in a new web address when you're done using your online account may not be enough to prevent others from gaining access to your account information. Instead, click on the "log out" button to terminate your online session. In addition, don't permit your browser to "remember" your username and password information. If this browser feature is active, anyone using your computer will have access to your investment account information.
VoIP: It's a phone, it's a computer, it's...
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is one way people are making and receiving telephone calls using an Internet connection rather than a regular phone line. VoIP services can also be attacked by computer viruses, worms, or spam over Internet telephony (SPIT). Here is how it works: VoIP converts your phone call -- actually, the voice signal from your phone -- into a digital signal that travels over the Internet to the person you are calling. If you are calling a plain old telephone number, the signal is converted back at the other end. If you're comfortable with new technology, you may want to learn more about VoIP. It's smart to do some research on this technology before signing up for it.
No free lunch
A new round of bogus pop-ups offers to scan your computer for infections and vulnerabilities for free. Do not take the bait! By allowing this kind of scan, you may be giving Bad Guys access to your personal information.
Some Tips to Protect against Identity Theft
Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED"; although merchants and their employees are still hit-and-miss on actually checking that ID, more of them are paying attention.
When you order your checks, don't list any telephone number. You can always write it on the check at the time of the transaction. If you have a PO Box, use that instead of your home address or your work address.
Be aware of which credit cards you carry now have embedded RFID chips because the information on one of those chips can be read surreptitiously by someone near you using a simple hand-held scanner.
Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Store those photo copies in a secure place and refresh it when you change cards.
Get a separate email address for postings
To secure your data and reduce SPAM sent to your business as well as to your private email account, get a dedicated address for internet postings. Never use your business email address for posting guestbook entries, votes, or questions and answers in forums and surveys. It's good to be reachable in these situations, but best to be anonymous.
Be careful with cybercafe computers
Cybercafe's offer a convenient way to use a networked computer when you are away from home or office. But be careful. It's impossible for an ordinary user to tell what the state of their security might be. Since anyone can use them for anything, they have probably been exposed to viruses, worms, Trojans, keyloggers, and other nasty malware. Should you use them at all? They're okay for casual web browsing, but they're NOT okay for connecting to your email, which may contain personal information; to any secure system, like the network or server at your office, bank or credit union; or for shopping online.
Lock it when you leave it
Never leave your computer logged in when you walk away, not even for a minute. Make it a habit to log off your workstation whenever you get up. Remember to always leave your Windows computer by pressing the keyboard shortcut combination of the Windows logo key and the letter "L" on a Microsoft natural keyboard. Get it? Leave Windows by pressing the Windows logo + L keys together to lock it up.
If you weren't expecting an attachment, write back and request that sender embeds text in email
When you see your anti-virus package "scanning" a Word or Excel file, the odds are VERY high that it won't find any of the important new vulnerabilities nation states and rich criminals are using to get past the most sophisticated defenses. Don't open email attachments unless you were expecting them. Send a note back and ask the person to embed the text in a simple email. This matters to your career. The people who break this rule will be the reason their organization's data are stolen and they won't be able to hide.
Keep it off the floor
No matter where you are in public - at a conference, a coffee shop, or a registration desk - avoid putting your laptop on the floor. If you must put it down, place it between your feet or at least up against your leg, so that you're aware of it.
Get it out of the car
Don't leave your laptop in the car - not on the seat, not in the trunk. Parked cars are a favorite target of laptop thieves; don't help them by leaving your laptop unattended. If you must leave your laptop behind, keep it out of sight.
Treat your laptop like cash
If you had a wad of money sitting out in a public place, would you turn your back on it - even for just a minute? Would you put it in checked luggage? Leave it on the backseat of your car? Of course not. Keep a careful eye on your laptop just as you would a pile of cash.
Treat your laptop like you want to keep it
Thinking of taking your laptop on the road? It's a great way to work and stay in touch when you're out and about, but you need to take some steps to keep your laptop safe-and in your possession. Here are some things you can do to keep track of your laptop:
Treat it like cash.
Get it out of the car...don't ever leave it behind.
Keep it locked...use a security cable.
Keep it off the floor...or at least between your feet.
Keep passwords separate...not near the laptop or case.
Don't leave it "for just a sec"...no matter where you are.
Pay attention in airports...especially at security.
Use bells and whistles...if you've got an alarm, turn it on.
When you log out, log out completely
Closing or minimizing your browser or typing in a new web address when you're done using your online account may not be enough to prevent others from gaining access to your account information. Instead, click on the "log out" button to terminate your online session. In addition, don't permit your browser to "remember" your username and password information. If this browser feature is active, anyone using your computer will have access to your investment account information.
VoIP: It's a phone, it's a computer, it's...
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is one way people are making and receiving telephone calls using an Internet connection rather than a regular phone line. VoIP services can also be attacked by computer viruses, worms, or spam over Internet telephony (SPIT). Here is how it works: VoIP converts your phone call -- actually, the voice signal from your phone -- into a digital signal that travels over the Internet to the person you are calling. If you are calling a plain old telephone number, the signal is converted back at the other end. If you're comfortable with new technology, you may want to learn more about VoIP. It's smart to do some research on this technology before signing up for it.
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