Thursday, October 14, 2010

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Well, ok, there is no official month for this deems by the powers be, but one or two geek groups are observing this year's 7th annual National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
Some tips from me to you:
  1. Be sure you have anti-virus software on your computer.
  2. Be sure that your anti-virus software is actually activated, working, and up-to-date.
  3. Links on Facebook are not always actually posted by friends. Be very cautious any time you follow someone's link.
  4. YouTube and Facebook is not likely to ask you to update, download, or enable anything if its already been working for you.
  5. If something seems suspicious, its probably for a good reason. Check the URL to be sure you're really where you think you are.
  6. Anytime you are prompted for a password, look at the URL to be sure you're not being Phished.
  7. If a anti-virus software comes up that you don't recognize, its likely malware and your Anti-Virus has failed. Shut down your computer and call your Geek.
  8. Websites offering free scans of your computer are 99% of the time a BAD idea.
  9. If your email or Facebook gets " "hacked" " (more likely Phished), change your password and check your account settings for traces the intruder left.
  10. Passwords should be 8 characters or longer, have more than just letters. More importantly to your security is to be sure you follow #6. Phishing is getting too common.
If you don't know who your Geek is, its that computer person in your family, friends, or church you trust. If you've got no Geek in mind, call me.

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