Skepticism and Internet Security

Being skeptical does not make you a cynic or a curmudgeon. It just means you use logic and reasoning in your decision making. It's not just about debating conspiracy theories; it can apply to almost anything. Computers have become an almost essential item in so many households, and their ease-of-use has made them accessible by people who don't know how to protect themselves. As such, nefarious individuals or groups have taken advantage of these people through viruses, trojans, malware, spyware and phishing schemes. In this article I will give you tips on how you can protect yourself.

It used to be that email was the most common way to transmit a virus. Now, hackers have taken advantage of security holes in internet browsers which allow you to be infected just by going to a website. A popular method is using social media sites like Facebook or twitter to spread links to these webpages. Many times, you will see a friend post something like "check out this hot video of..." or "look at my pictures" with an inciting photo. The fact is that your friend didn't even post it in the first place. They are infected with some kind  of malware and it is posting from their account without them knowing. You should always take a minute to examine the link before you click on it. If it seems really bizarre or out of character, you could ask the person directly. Chances are they didn't even know they were infected and you could be preventing further spread of the malware. Browsers are always being updated and patched for these security holes, so make sure you're browser is up-to-date frequently. Email is still a method used to spread viruses. Although  email providers offer virus protection, it is still possible for them to penetrate the added security. Never open an email attachment unless you knew it was coming. If someone you know sent you something unsolicited, it could be that they are infected and didn't know it.

A phishing scheme is usually something that looks legitimate,  like an email from your bank, but it is faked in order to get you to give them your personal information. They have become more complex and harder to detect, but there are a couple rules you can follow to protect yourself. Most banks, utility companies and other website will never ask you to change your password in an email. If there is a problem, they will ask you to go to their site, but they will not give you a link (you should know where to go). Links can be a little deceptive due to the nature of HTML. Basically, a link could look like http://www.google.com but it is actually sending you to www.somedomain.com. If you hover your mouse over the link, look at the bottom of your email client window or browser (this is sometimes called the status bar) and it should show you where you are going. Phishing schemes can also come in the form of a pop-up window, which look just like a Windows message, convincing you to download their malicious software. During the instillation process, you may be asked to enter some personal information or even a credit card. If it's not something you ordered, never enter your credit card or personal information into any application. Some of these malicious programs will even tell you to try a different credit card because the one you entered did not authenticate. This way, they can collect more than one card number from you.

There are a few general rules I use to protect myself. The most important is to keep your system up to date. Windows has included a system updater since Windows 95, and with the newer versions such as Windows Vista and Windows 7, they can be automated so your system is always up-to-date. You should also update your Internet browser frequently. Some of them, like Google Chrome and Firefox can automatically check for updates when you launch them. Use some kind of spyware/malware detection software. Many of them free and pretty easy to use. (I have been using Malwarebytes for a few years and I think it does a great job.) Anti-virus software is also an option. The last piece of advice I can offer is to make backups of your important data in case you do get some nasty virus. Some people make CD or DVD archives, but they can degrade over time which can negate the purpose of using them. There are online services where you can store your files for free, like dropbox.com, but it requires you to upload the files manually and has a limit on how much free storage they will allow. Carbonite.com is a site which will make automated backups of all your local files on one computer for a low monthly or yearly rate. The good thing about Carbonite is that it is automatic, can maintain multiple versions of your files, and offers one-way encryption so only you can view the files.

Using weak passwords, or the same password for many sites makes it easier for hackers to access your data. For social media sites, blogs or forums, it might be okay to use the same, simple password. As long as there isn't any personal information, it wouldn't be a total loss if your account was hacked. For banks and other financial institutions, you should use separate and more complex passwords. Although it is not a great solution, if you use your browser to store your passwords, make sure you have a good system password. A good password would be something that is not in the dictionary, contains numbers, capital and lower case letters and even symbols. Lastpass is a plugin for web browsers that stores your passwords using one-way encryption. Once you have entered the master password, you can store your private information to automatically fill in web forms such as login pages, credit cards and address fields.

The internet can be a scary place, but with a little critical thinking you can avoid becoming a victim of a malicious attack. Be wary of suspicious links, keep your system up-to-date and use good passwords.