Internet Safety
Covering
Your Tracks
Microsoft
Security Update for Internet Explorer
Online
Shopping Safety
Protect
Yourself From Identity Theft
Spyware
- What it does to you
Web
Cookies
COVERING
YOUR TRACKS ON THE INTERNET
Using the
Internet in public places like schools, libraries, or Internet Cafes
provides a perfect opportunity to check your e-mail or bank accounts
while traveling. If you are not careful, you may leave critical
data behind that could come back to haunt you. Windows
has a few built-in features that can be productivity boosters, however,
you don't want to leave this information out where others may be able to
access it.
AUTO COMPLETE FORMS AND PASSWORDS:
When using a public computer, you need to be sure Auto Complete Forms and Passwords are turned off. This way, if you use a Web based mail program your login and password won't be saved on the computer. To turn off Auto Complete in Internet Explorer, follow these instructions:
COOKIES, TEMP FILE, AND HISTORY:
The next step to covering your tracks needs to happen when you are finished with the Internet. This step involves clearing the cookies, temp and history folders. The temp folder or cache is where media files and webpages are stored after you've requested them.
Every webpage you request is sent directly to your temp folder or cache, where it stays until you access it again or it is over written. Because the webpage is already on your computer, you won't have to wait for all the graphics associated with a particular webpage to download.
The history folder records every Web address you've ever visited during a set period of time. Unless you clear the history before you leave the computer, all those Web addresses you just visited will remain in the computer.
Clearing these three settings is very easy:
MICROSOFT
SECURITY UPDATE FOR INTERNET EXPLORER
Microsoft has
released a patch that addresses security vulnerabilities in Internet
Explorer.
If you are using this browser, please click
here for more
information.
ONLINE
SHOPPING TIPS
Visa USA and the Better
Business Bureau (BBB) offer these tips to keep you safe:
Shop with e-tailers you know, or research before you buy. A responsible online retailer will clearly post its physical address and telephone number on its website. Use that information to check the business's complaint record with the Better Business Bureau or local consumer protection agency. If a site displays a BBBOnline Reliability seal, you can click on the seal to quickly check BBB information on the company and be assured the company will stand behind its service.
Use your payment card to shop online. If you decide to use your payment card to purchase goods and services online, your liability under federal law is limited to $50. Visa also offers Zero Liability protection for purchases made with a Visa card. Using your credit or debit card can also provide you with extra cardholder benefits. Check with your card issuer for protection details or other advantages.
Know the e-tailer's customer satisfaction policies and the terms of the sale. Before making a purchasing decision, consumers should look for information regarding shipping timeframe; return, refund, or exchange policies (including related fees, if any); product warranty/guarantee details; and information concerning the online store's commitment to resolve any disputes that might arise.
Understand the difference between buying from a business and buying from a private seller. It's now more common for individuals to sell goods via auctions and other sites on the Internet. Be aware that your legal rights against an individual may not be the same as against a business. While many private sellers are legitimate, your legal recourse may be different if you're not satisfied with the merchandise.
Be in a secure environment at point of purchase. Before providing your credit card or financial information, be certain you are using a secure browser that will encrypt the personal data you are about to transmit online. At the point of purchase, look for the prefix "https://" at the beginning of the e-tailer's Web address in the uniform resource locator (URL) box.
Investigate the e-tailer's "security system" - look for information about the online store's security policies that indicates if the e-tailer provides an industry-standard level of security for the storage of personal data.
Protect your password. Some online stores require you to register a user name and password before buying an item. Just as you keep your automated teller machine (ATM) code secret, keep your password secret from outside parties.
Exercise the right to protect your privacy. Shop at e-tailer sites that have posted privacy policies that reveal what personally identifiable information is collected about you and how it will be used, and offers you options about the use of your personal information. Look for signs that the site has been reviewed by trustworthy organizations, such as BBBOnLine, to ensure that the business has demonstrated compliance with credible online privacy principles. The only information reputable online stores typically require is your password, credit card number and shipping information.
Keep a record of your transactions Print out and save a record of all online transactions, including the retailer's URL (Internet address). That way, you'll have information at your fingertips in case questions arise about the order or terms of the sale.
Know your consumer rights. The same laws that protect you when you shop by phone or mail apply when you shop in cyberspace. Under the law, a company must ship your order within the time stated in its advertisements and no more than 30 days after the order date.
PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM IDENTITY THEFT
Identity theft is the
use or attempted use of credit cards, checks, access codes (ie: ATM cards), or
identifying information such as your social security number or mother's maiden
name to get goods or services.
On average, it takes 15 months for a victim to discover identity theft, giving crooks plenty of time to operate and get away. The good news is that a victim is responsible for no more than the first $50 of credit card charges if misuse is reported promptly. The bad news is that the average victim faces $18,00 in fraudulent charges that must be removed from his or her credit history.
How Identity Thieves Operate
Some scammers buy fake birth certificates and IDs while others hack into databases. In March 2001, the FBI reported that 40 corporations in 20 states were targeted by hackers operating outside the United States. Activities compromised the security of more than 1 million credit cards numbers stored by the hacked corporations. Most of the hacking activity originated in Eastern Europe, China, and the former Soviet Republics.
The latest trend in identity theft is "skimming." Take a restaurant as an example. A waiter swipes your credit card two times: once for the meal, and once to copy all the data off the magnetic strip into a small device.
The criminal who supplied the waiter with the skimming device then downloads the swiped card's information into his or her computer, puts the information on counterfeit cards, and uses those cards to buy goods and services using your account.
Protect Yourself From Identity Theft
You can take several steps to avoid falling prey to identity thieves:
Buy a
shredder. Destroy all pre-approved credit offers that come in the mail
as well as credit card receipts you no longer need. Call 1.888.OPTOUT
to reduce the number of future unwanted credit card offers you get in the
mail.
Keep important
numbers safe. Don't carry social security card numbers or PIN numbers
in your wallet. Cover your hand when you're entering a PIN or long
distance access code at a bank machine or pay phone. This will prevent
"shoulder surfers" from copying your number.
Give your
credit card number or social security number over the phone only if you
initiated the purchase or transaction.
Check your
credit report for credit cards or charges you don't recognize once a year.
Credit reports are available for $8 each from each of the three credit
reporting bureaus:
Equifax: 1.800.685.1111
Experian: 1.800.397.3742
TransUnion: 1.800.916.8800
What if you are a victim?
If you discover you're a victim of identity theft, follow these steps:
Make a police
report in the town you live in. Local police are required to file the
report, even if the ultimate case will be referred to a different location
for prosecution (for example, where the goods are being shipped).
Call the three
credit reporting bureaus' fraud lines to report the misuse and place a fraud
alert in your file. By federal law, a victim is entitled to a free
credit report (you may have to provide them copies of the police report).
The fraud numbers are:
Equifax: 1.800.525.6285
Experian: 1.88.397.3742
TransUnion: 1.800.680.7289
Check your
credit reports carefully, and contact any unfamiliar creditors. Close
any credit card or bank accounts that have been tampered with, and open new
ones at your proper address. Add extra password protection to avoid
changes by anyone other than yourself.
To report a stolen or misued social security number, call 1.800.269.0271 or email oig.hotline@ssa.gov
SPYWARE
- WHAT IT DOES TO YOU
Spyware or adware is
defined as a third party application that is bundled into a downloaded program
from the Internet. Once these programs are installed on your computer,
they can install a wide assortment of DLLs and other executable files sending a
continuous data stream to the parent marketing company out from your computer;
leaving a backdoor open for
hackers without your knowledge - they can install other programs directly on to
your computer without your knowledge and they can send and receive cookies to
other spyware programs and invite them into your computer (even if your cookies
are disabled). To
make matters worse, they can also add Trojan horses into your system, many are
fully independent executable files which are self sufficient programs which take
on the authorization abilities of the user, they include auto install and auto
update capabilities and can report on any attempts to remove or modify them, and
just generally create havoc on your computer.
Currently, there are well over 800 shareware/freeware products which also include additional components for what the Internet community call adware and spyware. These applications are located all over the Internet as easy downloads. They can be found on CNet, Tucows and several other locations offering free and low cost bargains. Most of these products make no real statement that they include adware or spyware and if they do, it is buried in the "terms of use" or make a small reference that they are supported this way. Some developers might include a small privacy statement which does not fully explain what information will be gathered or give a full explanation regarding what will be done with the information.
Unfortunately programs like Go!Zilla and Lime Wire, iMesh, Kazaa along with most file-sharing apps also install several applications to finance its development including TopText and Gator, Cydoor, and BonziBuddy. For example, Gator's capabilities include helping you manage your personal information, banking records, credit card account numbers, passwords and other vital information and can process forms on your behalf while shopping online - this sounds great - IF all the personal information it held remained securely on your personal computer, but all of it does not and much of it gets included in the data stream to Gator's headquarters where it can be sold to third parties.
There is help available. There is a freeware program you can install into your computer that will tell you every piece of spyware installed on your system and help you uninstall it to avoid any damage on your computer. Visit www.lavasoftusa.com for more information about their product.
WEB
COOKIES
Cookies come in two
different forms - persistent and nonpersistent. Persistent cookies
stay with your browser (such as Netscape or Internet Explorer) even after
you have closed out your browser. The
next time you open your browser and access the website that put a cookie
on your browser, your browser will find the cookie still there.
Nonpersistent cookies, as the name suggests, do not stay around after you
close your browser.
DELETING COOKIES FROM YOUR SYSTEM
Manually deleting cookies from your system: To check the cookies stored on your system, double click "My Computer" and browse to C:\Windows\Cookies. The documents shown in the window will be a bunch of gibberish with the name of a website hidden somewhere inside. You can delete all of these just as you would delete any other files. Some cookies are also stored with your temp files. To delete these, double click "My Computer" and browse to C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files
Deleter Beware: Cookies are like weeds. Manually deleting them will not keep them from coming back. Cookies also contain useful information, such as stored passwords. If you delete certain cookies, you will have to re-enter your username and password information when you return to that website.
Set
your browser's security to warn you about cookies:
If you are using Internet Explorer 6.0, you can designate exactly what
types of cookies you will or will not accept, or you can choose not to
accept any cookies at all. Here's how:
- Choose Tools in your browser window
- Select Internet Options
- Click on the Privacy tab
- Adjust the privacy thermometer to low, medium, or high. Each
setting provides an explanation of which cookies will be blocked and
which will be accepted.
Download a cookie killer: There are several different freeware and shareware programs available that will help you get rid of cookies and keep them from coming back. Check out CNet or ZDnet for more information.
Ignore them: The most effective way to get rid of cookies is to simply toss them from your mind. Any Web filters, including cookie blockers are going to have an effect on your surfing speed. These days most cookies simply track where you go on a website and how much time you spend there. They do not contain your Social Security number, phone number, or home address. Like banner ads and password-protected sites, you can consider cookies a necessary evil to be endured for the sake of surfing. If you keep your cache files cleaned out regularly, you can continue to surf smoothly and easily!
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