A small break from my photography passion to my real job:
For those of you that don't know, October is designated as
Cyber Security Awareness Month. It is a special time of the year when us paranoid security ppl, as some of you like to refer to us as, bring awareness to topics that affect our lives when it comes to the use of the Internet.
You could say I took an oath about 10 years ago to educate fellow peers on best practices for securely operating businesses online and complying with state and federal mandates. Even since 2001 times have really changed and gotten much more complex but at the same time alot easier for cyber criminals. I will not continue to bore you with petty stuff but if you learn anything from this post, please know this:
If you think for a second your pc is "safe" or "untouchable"you are kidding yourself. I have worked in this field way to long and know the only safe computer is an unplugged one and that my friend is the flat truth!
However, much like everything else in life we base things around RISK. Same way with computers, Facebook, and paying bills online. It has all a positive affect somehow or we wouldnt do it right? We learn to manage those risks and go on with our lives. So here's some kind advice to you for keeping your family safe online.
1.
Antivirus and Antispyware - Don't get online without it. Keep it updated and do a full scan atleast once a week. If your on a strict budget and can't afford some of the pay versions well yours truly "Microsoft" offers a free solution, Avast has a solution, and I think AVG is still free. I'm not saying they are bad and something is better than nothing but sometimes they tend to be behind on update releases. And by the way, for those of you that have the mind set of "my pc came with antivirus so I don't know why it has a virus." Hello! Your 90 day free trial was up 2 years ago, go buy you some more!
However, if you have an infection, one of the best pieces of software to remove malware is from
http://www.malwarebytes.org/. They also have a pay version that will run real time in the background.
2.
Keep Tabs on Your Kids - Oh wow I cannot stress how important this is. For those of you in McKenzie it's not like hanging out up town back in the good ole days LOL. Your kids have complete access to anyone online and can say or do anything. Truth be known it's like being in a confession booth where you can tell the Priest anything. Kids are way more open online. This goes both ways from a child predator perspective, they can also say and do anything they wish. If you have children that get online, here are a few tips:
- Keep the Family PC in an Open Area
- Get Up in Their Business - I'm sorry but in this day and age you need to. If they start acting funny when you come in the room, there is usually a reason. A child does not have the maturity to be online upsupervised period!
- Friend Them - If they don't want to be friends with you on social media sites such as Facebook, then typically they are afraid you will see something. Sorry kids, I've seen too much and you do need to be monitored (don't yall feel sorry for Ty :)
- Install a Web Filter - Blue Coat K9 software is awesome and it's FREE http://www.k9webprotection.com/. It can set restrictions on website categories and set time limits on websites. It will also show you where you child is going online. If your child is having some issues such as being distracted, grades dropping, or wants to stay online all the time you can install a program from McGruff the Crime Dog to monitor their activity online. For more information go here: http://www.gomcgruff.com/m/index.asp
- Texting or Sexting? If your child is texting hundreds of messages a month, ya might check into that and contact your Service Provider to obtain further details on those messages.
3.
Keep your operating system patched. Make sure automatic updates are turned on your computer. If you dont know how, GOOGLE "how to turn on automatic updates for Windows Vista" or whatever your operating system type is.
4.
Keep third party applications patched such as Adobe Reader. About 80% of the problems I run into are because third party applications on computers are never patched allowing malware to infect a machine. One of the best products to check the security of your computer is Secunia PSI and it's FREE. Download and run it on your computer!
http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/personal
5.
Make sure your firewall is turned on. This is a good prevention step but just because it is on does NOT mean your machine is safe. It is a step in the right direction. I can't tell you how many times I hear "but my firewall is turned On" ughhh !
6.
If it looks too good to be true IT IS! Ok guys so I know you all wanted the free IPhone advertised all over Facebook but did you really think it was for real? What was real was the nasty virus you just downloaded to your computer. Oh and that link your friend innocently posted on their profile about "Click here to see the Hottest Man or Woman ever", well that isn't real neither especially when it was on a friend's page who wouldnt be caught dead wearing bright red lipstick much less advertising a sexy man article. If it doesn't seem real, DONT click it!
7.
Don't use the same password for social media sites that you do for your online banking. You are just asking for trouble. Make them complex and I suggest using phrases you can remember such as
Itisfinallyf@ll!
8. If you are not expecting an email from someone or if it doesn't seem like something the person would send you, dont open it!
9. Secure your wireless! There are still so many people who do not secure their wireless routers when they install them. Not only are you giving your neighbors free Internet but your also giving them free access to the data on your computer. If you need help with this GOOGLE "How to secure my wireless router".
10. If you don't want it known - don't advertise it. Ok guys let's be honest here, I see so many ppl complaining about someone being in their business. Well guess what, if you don't want someone to talk about you or your life then don't advertise it online plain and simple.
Facebook was not built to keep your secrets or keep the thieves from your house when you advertise that your at the Justin Bieber Concert. Tell everyone when you get back. :)
And a special thanks to all my mentors over the years. Without you I wouldn't have the life I have today. I love you guys!
