Today is \u201cSafer Internet Day\u201d<\/p>\n
Internet safety is not only about keeping our Coppell kids safe. Adults can also learn about securing yourself from cybercriminals, snoops, creeps, and assorted other denizens of the Net\u2019s dark side. Follow these 13 rules and you should be able to surf in safety.<\/p>\n
Rule #1: Update early and often<\/strong><\/p>\n If there\u2019s a vulnerability in your operating system, browser, or other software, be assured the bad guys know about it. But no matter how quickly software makers plug that hole and push out an update, it won\u2019t do any good if you don\u2019t actually install it. So install updates as soon as they\u2019re available, especially those marked \u201ccritical.\u201d Better yet, set your OS and apps to automatically update if possible. Yes, it\u2019s a hassle to update Java and Adobe Acrobat every week and some updates\u00a0may occasionally break things. Do it anyway.<\/p>\n Rule #2: Honor thy antivirus software and keep it current<\/strong><\/p>\n Installing antivirus software isn\u2019t the safety net it used to be, thanks to the increase in \u201czero day\u201d threats that appear before AV companies can update their software. But they\u2019ll still stop more than 90 percent of the threats you\u2019re likely to encounter.<\/p>\n Rule #3: Don\u2019t fall for that scam<\/strong><\/p>\n You know what\u2019s an even bigger threat than malware authors and cybercrooks? You. The easiest way for an attacker to get access to your logins is to fool you into giving them up. This is usually achieved via a \u201cphishing\u201d email that looks like it\u2019s from your bank, employer, or the IRS; this email aims to lure you to a bogus site where you enter your login name and password. Once the attackers have your info, they can log into your account, then steal your information and sell it to others.<\/p>\n Rule #4: Don\u2019t touch that file<\/strong><\/p>\n The other way scammers get you is by sending a bogus attachment, like an invoice or a contract for something you allegedly ordered. Opening the document usually infects your computer. If you don\u2019t recognize the sender, just delete the email. If the message appears to come from a friend or colleague, make triple sure that person actually sent it to you before you open it.<\/p>\n Rule #5: Become a cyber-savvy parent<\/strong><\/p>\n Sexting, cyberbullies, and catfishing \u2014 being a parent of an Internet-age kid isn\u2019t easy. The best thing you can do is educate yourself. The\u00a0Connect Safely site\u00a0has a slew of helpful, nonhysterical guides to keeping kids safe from cyberbullies, dealing with SnapChat and Instagram, how to handle the mobile phone conundrum, and a ton more. Common Sense Media is also an excellent resource for\u00a0how to be cyberparent, with recommendations for age-appropriate sites, apps, games, and the like.<\/p>\n Rule #6: Don\u2019t be a boob about the Tubes<\/strong><\/p>\n If your kids are online, it\u2019s pretty certain they\u2019re spending a lot of time on YouTube and other video sites. Most of that content is innocent (if mind-numbing); some of it isn\u2019t. You need to at least be aware of what they\u2019re watching and put some controls on it. If they\u2019re still in single digits, you might want to install\u00a0Google\u2019s YouTube Kids app\u00a0on their tablets or phones.<\/p>\n Rule #7: Don\u2019t install that new video player<\/strong><\/p>\n Just like in real life, most of the bad guys on the Internet hang out in dicey neighborhoods \u2014 like adult sites, BitTorrent search engines, and pirate Internet TV stations. At some point nearly all of them will pop up a message saying that your Flash player is out of date or that you need to install a new video player to watch whatever it is you\u2019re trying to watch. Don\u2019t do that.<\/p>\n Rule #8: Use a password manager<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, passwords can sometimes be a pain, but until we get a better replacement, we\u2019re stuck with them. So do yourself a favor and use a password manager like 1Password,\u00a0Dashlane, or Lastpass. They will both act as a password vault, storing all your thousands of logins for different sites, and also auto-generate fiendishly difficult-to-crack passwords on your behalf. Just don\u2019t forget the master password to your vault or you\u2019re screwed. (Tip: Use a song lyric or some other easy-to-remember-yet-unique phrase for your password, the longer the better.) They\u00a0aren\u2019t foolproof, but they\u2019re better than\u00a0using \u201c123456\u201d for everything.<\/p>\n Rule #9: Protect your logins<\/strong><\/p>\n One way to find out if your password has been stolen is to see if someone is logging into your accounts from an unknown machine. With more and more sites using Facebook and Twitter as ways to prove you are who you say you are, this becomes especially more important. \u00a0Facebook has a\u00a0Security Checkup page\u00a0you can use to see if someone else has been logging into your Facebook account and lets you log out of any unknown ones with a click. Companies like\u00a0Apple, Google, Twitter, and Yahoo\u00a0have deployed so-called \u201ctwo-factor\u201d (or \u201ctwo-step\u201d) authentication, which requires you to enter an additional piece of information when logging in from an unfamiliar device \u2014 usually a 4- or 6-digit code sent via text to your phone. If you think someone else might have access to your accounts, it\u2019s a good idea to change your password and then implement two-factor.<\/p>\n Rule #10: Secure all your Wi-Fi passwords<\/strong><\/p>\n Most people don\u2019t realize this, but your home Wi-Fi actually has two passwords. One is for the network \u2014 that\u2019s the one you type when you log on from a new device. The other password is for the router; this allows you to go in and change network settings (like your Wi-Fi password). Most people remember to change the first set of logins but not the second, and the router defaults are widely known (usually \u201cadmin\u201d and \u201cpassword\u201d). So anyone within range of your home network could log into your router, change the settings, lock you out of it if they wanted to, or simply capture all the information flowing out of your network. Not good.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll want to change your router\u2019s defaults. Instructions vary depending on the router, so you\u2019ll need to visit the manufacturer\u2019s website and search for \u201cchange router admin password.\u201d<\/p>\n Rule #11: Don\u2019t get sucked in by fake Wi-Fi hotspots<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re logging on from a crowded caf\u00e9 or an airport lounge, you\u2019ll probably see \u201cfree\u201d Wi-Fi hotspots galore. Some are legit, some are definitely bogus. You\u2019ll want to find out if in fact the caf\u00e9 or lounge offers free Wi-Fi, and what the network name is, before you log on. Otherwise you could be handing all your Internet traffic to some rogue access point or that creep behind you with a laptop. When in doubt, pony up some money for a legit public hotspot you know is secure.<\/p>\n Rule #12: Use an encrypted connection in public<\/strong><\/p>\n Even if you\u2019re on a legit public Wi-Fi network, someone else on the same network could snoop on your data unless you take the right precautions. First, if you are logging on to your webmail or another password-protected account, make sure to use the encrypted version of the website \u2014 the address always starts with\u00a0https\u00a0<\/em>(not\u00a0http<\/em>). Otherwise, anything you type is sent in plain text and can be captured by someone else on the same network.<\/p>\n The best option, if you can: Connect to the Internet using a virtual private network (VPN), especially if you\u2019re dialing into work. This creates an end-to-end encrypted connection between you and the Net, making it virtually impossible for anyone to spy on you.<\/p>\n Rule #13: Technology can help \u2014 but it can\u2019t solve everything<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got kids at home, technology can give you a handle on what they\u2019re doing on the Net.\u00a0Circle can monitor every device on your home network\u00a0and let you set rules about where and when kids can access the Net. Norton Online Family Premier\u00a0can cordon off the nastier parts of the Net and give you a window into their chat conversations and video consumption. And of course, anti-malware software can help fight off the nasties for everyone.<\/p>\n Ultimately, though, the burden is on you. Like liberty, the price of Internet safety is eternal vigilance. And not just on one day each year.<\/p>\n Yahoo<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today is \u201cSafer Internet Day\u201d Internet safety is not only about keeping our Coppell kids safe. Adults can also learn about securing yourself from cybercriminals, snoops, creeps, and assorted other denizens of the Net\u2019s dark side. Follow these 13 rules and you should be able to surf in safety. 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