Prevention
To prevent confidential information on your PC from being available to anyone on the Internet or accessible to a number of third parties you, first and foremost, need to be self-disciplined. In other words don't just click "OK" or "Confirm" without reading exactly what is asked. If you don't understand the content of the question, choose "Cancel" and try to obtain more information.What to look out for
Annoying/dangerous e-mails
If you receive an e-mail with a link at the bottom to unsubscribe, never follow this link unless you recognise the e-mail sender as a reliable information service (e.g. electronic newsletters coming from one of your suppliers) to which you did subscribe and that you wish to put an end to. However, never unsubscribe from a list to which you never subscribed. If you do, you are telling the spammer that the e-mail address to which he sent SPAM does in fact exist and can be used to send even more SPAM.
If you receive an e-mail asking to help with the transfer of a considerable sum of money and in exchange for your co-operation you will be given a huge percentage of that sum, be doubly careful. In all probability this is a con. The construction is always the same: someone supposedly gave you up as a reference and because you are so reliable, the frauds have got in touch with you and have a proposal that could be very beneficial for you. A large sum of money (usually from a former dictator, a murdered politician, businessman or senior official) is on a bank account and with your help needs to be brought to safety abroad. In exchange for your co-operation (without your help the money cannot be moved abroad) you can expect a big percentage of the total amount. As soon as you agree, the problems start. They encounter all kinds of unexpected obstacles and you are asked to transfer (small) amounts to arrange the formalities. Before you properly realise, the frauds have taken a considerable amount of your money and you still haven't seen a single cent of the promised money. Of course there is no money at all and you have been the victim of a con. Please always ignore these seemingly lucrative proposals.Also, never execute attachments (extensions) that you receive by e-mail. You never know who sent it. The sender might have stolen the e-mail address from one of your friends/acquaintances. Just about all extensions are potentially dangerous, even photographs and videos.
Secured websites
More website use a secure connection. You'll see https:// in the address bar instead of http://. The information to and from this website is encrypted. In order to establish a secure connection, a certificate is used. With this certificate, your browser checks whether the website is managed by the company who owns the certificate.You can view the details of the certificate by clicking on the yellow lock at the top of bottom of your browser. There are certificates that give the address bar a green colour when the security is ok. Most website for internet banking use this system.
The importance of a good password
You use a password to check your e-mail, login to social media websites, check your invoices online, ... So it's important to have a good password.
Some tips for keeping your password safe
- Don't use the same password everywhere, make up different combinations for all you online activities.
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Never use the same password for your e-mail account and other site where you register online (usually with your e-mail address as login)
- Never share your password via e-mail or phone, not even when the request is made from a thrustworthy company or person. A bank, a helpdesk,... will never ask your password to help you.
- Make sure no one sees you enter your password, as you would do with your pin code.
- Don't write your password down.
- Your browser can remember your passwords for you, so you don't have to enter them every time. Don't use this functionality. Anyone who is using your computer, can use the saved passwords to login to your accounts.
Browser hijacking
Many sites use scripts (javascript, activeX,... ) to offer online services or data. These small programs can be abused to infect your computer. Don't click install immediately when a pop-up appears, check first.
IRC/MSN/ICQ
Many online communication tools allow programs and photographs to be exchanged. This way, your computer can be infected with spyware or other malware. Don't accept files from everyone. Make sure to check exchanged files using a virus scanner before opening them.
How can you protect yourself better?
Virus scanners & Adware/Malware scanners
Firewall - extra security
Don't forget the router...
Protection of wireless networks