Fountain Hills Message Board: Tips to avoid costly mistakes

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   It happens all the time, identity theft, credit card and Bank fraud. Just read the local paper’s law enforcement report. The majority of these crimes start with an Internet connection. These types of crimes can be easily avoided by following a few simple rules when connecting to the Internet. 

Never ever open or respond to an E-mail from someone you don’t know. Even if the E-mail seems to be legitimate that appears to be coming from your financial institution. Many scams ask for you to click a link to verify your account information. Financial Institutions don’t ask this via E-mail. If you’re not convinced, at least call the number that you have on file for verification, not the number in the E-mail.
Shred any document that contains personal information before throwing it in the trash. Often you will find illegal aliens rummaging through trash cans after work looking for information they can sell on the black market or use to make purchases or get a job.
Always have Anti-Virus software installed and up to date. Viruses often leave doors open to criminals for the sole purpose of stealing personal information.
Have a secure connection when using a wireless network. Most wireless routers come with the security features disabled, so it is important to secure the network or get someone who can. Criminals just need to click a few buttons to get access to your Internet, network, and in some situations, access to your entire computer including connected devices such as external drives and printers.
Make sure your operating system is up to date. In most cases, this can be checked by opening your web browser, clicking on “tools”, then “windows updates”. Older computers that have not been updated in a while can be vulnerable to attack when cyber criminals try to exploit security issues that have not been addressed by a windows update.

Edited by disneygirl - December 05 2007 at 5:07pm

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administrator Admin Joined: October 01 2003 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 92	Topic: Tips to avoid costly mistakes Posted: December 05 2007 at 4:59pm
	It happens all the time, identity theft, credit card and Bank fraud. Just read the local paper’s law enforcement report. The majority of these crimes start with an Internet connection. These types of crimes can be easily avoided by following a few simple rules when connecting to the Internet. Never ever open or respond to an E-mail from someone you don’t know. Even if the E-mail seems to be legitimate that appears to be coming from your financial institution. Many scams ask for you to click a link to verify your account information. Financial Institutions don’t ask this via E-mail. If you’re not convinced, at least call the number that you have on file for verification, not the number in the E-mail. Shred any document that contains personal information before throwing it in the trash. Often you will find illegal aliens rummaging through trash cans after work looking for information they can sell on the black market or use to make purchases or get a job. Always have Anti-Virus software installed and up to date. Viruses often leave doors open to criminals for the sole purpose of stealing personal information. Have a secure connection when using a wireless network. Most wireless routers come with the security features disabled, so it is important to secure the network or get someone who can. Criminals just need to click a few buttons to get access to your Internet, network, and in some situations, access to your entire computer including connected devices such as external drives and printers. Make sure your operating system is up to date. In most cases, this can be checked by opening your web browser, clicking on “tools”, then “windows updates”. Older computers that have not been updated in a while can be vulnerable to attack when cyber criminals try to exploit security issues that have not been addressed by a windows update. Edited by disneygirl - December 05 2007 at 5:07pm
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joshharder Member Joined: August 01 2008 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 14	Posted: August 22 2008 at 12:51pm
	Great advice Jamie, One thing that I would like to add is- If you are getting software for your computer such as MS Office, AV software like Norton or anything that isn't free or requires a key code, NEVER DOWNLOAD IT OFF THE INTERNET!. Always order the cd version. Or make a trip to a retailer and purchase the software cd. The reasoning is this; what if your download somehow gets corrupted, what happens if you lose internet while downloading, what happens if you don't write down the key and lose it later on, what happens if you get a virus or malware that forces your computer to crash, what if your hard drive crashes, and the list goes on. But the answer to those questions is usually... "Sorry, looks your are out of $$$, should have bought the cd version." Unless its freeware, always opt for the hard copy to be sent or go to a retailer and purchase it. It will save you money and alot of hardship in the future. Edited by joshharder - August 22 2008 at 12:52pm
	Joshua Harder F.H. Computer Services 480-816-3570 www.fhcs.net "The only dumb question is the one never asked."
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