Email has become part of the very fabric of our lives. It lets us communicate quickly and easily with friends and family across town or across the globe. But don't let email's convenience make you forget about its potential dangers.
Following a few simple guidelines when using email can help protect you and your computer from identity thieves and unscrupulous businesses.
Treat Email Like a Postcard
Email is not a private method of communication. Anyone with a certain level of technological know-how can read what you send. While it may seem unlikely that anyone would bother trying to read your emails in transit, it's wise to err on the side of caution.
Passwords are the first line of defense and an important layer of protection in your cyber security. A good password that you never share is as important as the lock on the door of your home.
The best passwords are complex, memorable and always kept secret. Follow these tips to ensure your personal information stays confidential when you access it online.
Why Use a Complex Password?
Often users find the requirements for a complex password inconvenient. Some have even suggested that if they want to use a very simple password they should be allowed to do so because they're putting only their own information at risk and not jeopardizing others.
That assertion is not true. Website security measures are only as strong as their weakest link, and even one user with a simple password would represent a weak link in our security system. Consequently, Franklin Templeton requires a complex password to access account information for the security of all users.
People often create simple passwords in the interest of making them easy to remember. Unfortunately, this leads to passwords that are easy to guess. Common examples of easy-to-guess passwords include phone numbers, birthdates, names of relatives, or even the word "password."
Names or words that can be found in a dictionary don't make good passwords because they're easy for thieves to crack. Software programs exist that do nothing but crack passwords. Basic versions of these programs can try 2.7 million letter combinations per second. It doesn't take very long to try every word in the dictionary at a rate of 2.7 million words per second.
To make guessing or cracking your password more difficult, you should create a complex password that includes a combination of numbers and letters and that doesn't spell any real words. You can go a step further by using both upper- and lowercase letters.
Remembering Complex Passwords
A complex password doesn't have to be difficult for you to remember. A simple mnemonic device can help you create a password that's both easy to remember and sufficiently complex.
For instance, if your mother drove a blue Chevrolet when you were 12, you might consider basing your password on the sentence "When I was 12, Mom drove a blue Chevy." Combine the first letter of each word plus the number at the end, and you get "WIw12MdabC" as a complex password you can easily remember by reciting the sentence.
Don’t Use the Same Password for All Sites
Chances are you visit more than one website that requires a password. While the temptation may exist to have the same password so that you can easily remember it, you should have different, complex passwords for all the sites where you access personal financial information.
Hackers who steal passwords from one site are known to try those same passwords on other sites. If you use different passwords, a security breach on one site won't put your information on other sites in jeopardy.
Yes, it takes some effort to remember different complex passwords for all the sites you visit. However, keeping personal information secure is worth the effort.
Change Your Passwords Frequently
Some sites require you to change your password after a certain number of days as a part of their security procedures. However, even when a site doesn't require it, you may want to consider taking this additional precaution and change your passwords at least once a year. You may even want to consider changing them quarterly or monthly, depending on your own comfort level.
While airports and other venues with public computer terminals offer convenience, using them could compromise the security of your personal information.
You're on vacation and haven't been able to check email for a week. You stop for a cappuccino and notice a computer terminal in the corner of the coffee shop. It has Internet access and you decide to glance at the headlines on your favorite news website. No problem so far.
Then you decide to visit your bank's website, sign in and check to see if a couple of recent transactions have cleared. Is that a good idea? Probably not since you're using a public computer terminal.
There's no way for you to know what kinds of spyware programs are installed on public terminals. The computer may contain keytracking software or other invasive programs installed by someone who used the terminal previously. Those programs could help someone steal your identity if you're typing in personal information like an ID and password for online access to your bank account or email.
Given the ease with which spyware and other malicious programs can imbed themselves on a personal computer used only by you, it's wise to be extra cautious and never access personal financial data from a computer used by the general public.
Likewise the use of your own computer or mobile phone when connected to a local WiFi can have high risks as well. Local network devices or anchor points sending wireless signals can be infected with viruses and malware. It is recommended that if you are transmitting confidential information that must be protected you should access your devices Settings and verify that WIFI is not enabled and you are not connected to the local establishments WiFi network. This protective action will force your personal device to search for a connection from your primary ISP so that a more secured session can be initiated when required.
A virus is a program that enters your computer without your knowledge and attaches itself to other files, replicating itself and spreading. Spyware is similar in that it invades your computer without your knowledge, but it also monitors your activity. In some cases it may report this activity back to the person who originally wrote the program.
A virus or spyware on your computer can do more than just crash your system or delete files. More insidious strains can present a serious threat to the security of personal information
Keeping your computer free of all unwanted programs is an important aspect of making sure your personal information is secure.
Be Cautious when Downloading
Be aware that whenever you download software or application files from the Internet, you could be allowing a Trojan horse into your system. A Trojan horse is a file that has undesired components like viruses or spyware hidden inside.
Also, it is important to note that the rules that apply to your computer, apply to your smartphone as well. With the increasing use of mobile banking as well as numerous applications that house personal information, smartphones are a possible treasure trove for hackers looking to steal information. You should only download from reputable applications sources such as the Google Play or iOS stores. “Jailbreaking” your devices to download third-party applications can open you up to malicious software included with your download.
However, you don't have to download something for malicious programs to find their way onto your system. Some of them can sneak onto your computer without any action on your part beyond visiting a website that hasn't taken appropriate steps to prevent hackers from triggering these "drive-by" downloads. Our site has security measures in place to combat this kind of activity.
Keeping Your System Clean
Antivirus and antispyware programs that seek out and destroy spyware are available to help keep such programs off your system. But be aware that viruses and spyware aren't easy to eliminate.
For instance, spyware programs typically hit your computer in clusters rather than single programs. So when spyware A invades your machine, spyware B, C, D and E may also sneak in and find a place to hide. In addition to watching you, these programs watch each other. If spyware A gets deleted, spyware B reaches out to the originator and grabs another copy. So it's important to be disconnected from the Internet before trying to clean these files from your system.
Our Internet security expert recommends running your antispyware and antivirus programs several times in succession. Each run may be able to peel off layers of "masks," allowing the programs to work in tandem to target and destroy spyware and viruses that have been hiding. As a final step, restart your computer. Then run your antispyware and antivirus programs once more.
This process may seem like overkill, but many experts believe it's worth the effort to keep your system clean. If you'd rather not do all of what's described above, it's a good idea to run the antispyware and antivirus programs at least once.