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Online
Security
Every
time you buy stuff online, do your banking or pay bills over the Internet, check
in with your office by e-mail or just surf the Web for fun, you open a gateway
to the personal information on your computer-including credit-card numbers, bank
balances and more. You may also be in for costly computer repairs and lost data,
due to damaging computer viruses that can invade your computer through e-mail
connections. Fortunately,
there are steps you can take to protect your computer, your information and your
peace of mind from computer creeps who try to slow down a network operation, or
worse yet, steal personal information to commit a crime. Here are some tips to
help you, from the security experts at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC):
- Make sure your passwords
have both letters and numbers, and are at least eight characters long. Avoid common
words: some hackers use programs that can try every word in the dictionary. Don't
use your personal information, your login name or adjacent keys on the keyboard
as passwords-and don't share your passwords online or over the phone.
-
Protect yourself from viruses by installing anti-virus software and updating it
regularly. You can download anti-virus software from the Web sites of software
companies, or buy it in retail stores; the best recognize old and new viruses
and update automatically.
-
Prevent unauthorized access to your computer through firewall software or hardware,
especially if you are a high-speed user. A properly configured firewall makes
it tougher for hackers to locate your computer. Firewalls are also designed to
prevent hackers from getting into your programs and files. Some recently released
operating system software and some hardware devices come with a built-in firewall.
Some firewalls block outgoing information as well as incoming files. That stops
hackers from planting programs called spyware-that cause your computer to send
out your personal information without your approval.
-
Don't open a file attached to an e-mail unless you are expecting it or know what
it contains. If you send an attachment, type a message explaining what it is.
Never forward any e-mail warning about a new virus. It may be a hoax and could
be used to spread a virus.
-
When something bad happens-you think you've been hacked or infected by a virus
- e-mail a report of the incident to your Internet provider and the hacker's Internet
provider, if you can tell what it is, as well as your software vendor.
To
learn more, click here
or call toll free 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). Beginner's
Guide to Computer Security
Security
Test Email
Server Security Typically,
an email spammer buys a list of email addresses from a list broker, who compiles
it by "harvesting" addresses from the Internet. If your email address appears
in a newsgroup posting, on a website, in a chat room, or in an online service's
membership directory, it may find its way onto these lists. The marketer then
uses special software that can send hundreds of thousands - even millions - of
email messages to the addresses at the click of a mouse. How
To Reduce the Amount of Spam -
Try not to display your email address in public. That includes newsgroup postings,
chat rooms, websites or in an online service's membership directory. You may want
to opt out of member directories for your online services; spammers may use them
to harvest addresses.
-
Check the privacy policy when you submit your address to a website. See if it
allows the company to sell your address. You may want to opt out of this provision,
if possible, or not submit your address at all to websites that won't protect
it.
- Read and
understand the entire form before you transmit personal information through a
website. Some websites allow you to opt out of receiving email from their "partners"
- but you may have to uncheck a preselected box if you want to opt out.
-
Decide if you want to use two email addresses - one for personal messages and
one for newsgroups and chat rooms. You also might consider using a disposable
email address service that creates a separate email address that forwards to your
permanent account. If one of the disposable addresses begins to receive spam,
you can shut it off without affecting your permanent address.
-
Use a unique email address. Your choice of email addresses may affect the amount
of spam you receive. Spammers use "dictionary attacks" to sort through possible
name combinations at large Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or email services,
hoping to find a valid address. Thus, a common name such as joe may get more spam
than a more unique name like jd51x02oe. Of course, there is a downside - it's
harder to remember an unusual email address.
-
Use an email filter. Check your email account to see if it provides a tool to
filter out potential spam or a way to channel spam into a bulk email folder. You
might want to consider these options when you're choosing which Internet Service
Provider (ISP) to use.
What
You Can Do With the Spam In Your In-Box Report
it to the Federal Trade Commission. Send a copy of unwanted or deceptive messages
to uce@ftc.gov. The FTC uses the unsolicited
emails stored in this database to pursue law enforcement actions against people
who send deceptive spam email. Let
the FTC know if a "remove me" request is not honored. If you want to complain
about a removal link that doesn't work or not being able to unsubcribe from a
list, you can fill out the FTC's online complaint form. Click
here to file a complaint. Your complaint will be added to the FTC's Consumer
Sentinel database and made available to hundreds of law enforcement and consumer
protection agencies. Whenever
you complain about spam, it's important to include the full email header. The
information in the header makes it possible for consumer protection agencies to
follow up on your complaint. Send
a copy of the spam to your ISP's abuse desk. Often the email address is abuse@yourispname.com
or postmaster@yourispname.com.
By doing this, you can let the ISP know about the spam problem on their system
and help them to stop it in the future. Make sure to include a copy of the spam,
along with the full email header. At the top of the message, state that you're
complaining about being spammed. Complain
to the sender's ISP. Most ISPs want to cut off spammers who abuse their system.
Again, make sure to include a copy of the message and header information and state
that you're complaining about spam. FTC
Press Release -- Law Enforcement Posse Tackles Internet
Scammers,
Deceptive Spammers
FTC
Staff Releases Report: False Claims In Spam If
you have any questions or comments please contact Legislative Research Analyst
Chil-Sook Hwang by fax: 202-347-1091
or by phone: 1-888-4GRANGE, ext 109. Thank you for your grassroots participation
in the National Grange Legislative program. Want
to Subscribe To  ? For
all subscription and circulation inquiries, Contact: Jonathan
Hill. |
