Tips for Safer Computing

1. Passwords.

a. Use strong Passwords
A "strong" password mixes numbers and letters, and not in alphabetical or numerical sequence ("abcd1234" is not strong). Mix the case and throw in punctuation marks. Use an entire phrase if space allows; longer is better. PassPub.com randomly generates strong passwords you can use.

b. Don't use weak words
Never use a word that you can find in the dictionary or that is a proper name. Pets, kids, and spouses make bad passwords.

c. Change it
Alter your passwords regularly to stay one step ahead of those who might want to use them.
d. Be inconsistent
Don't use the same password on every computer you use or every site you surf. All it takes is one site to become compromised, and then someone will have access to all your accounts.

e. Create a master password
For the memory challenged, create a single, strong password you can recall, then adjust it based on the name of the site or service. For MySpace, for example, "Blg1225" becomes "MyspBlg1225."

2. Security.

a. Get social butterflies
Don't put personal information on social networks and make it easy for people to harvest your details. And don't post that compromising picture, either. Things on the Web have a way of becoming permanently available. Think about the Wayback Machine at www.archive.org.

b. Don't reply to Spam
Never, ever, ever send a reply to a spam. Even if it's for a product you want. Doing so confirms you read it, and your address goes on the spammers' lists for eternity.

c. Don't click.
Unless you are 110 percent certain, don't click links in e-mail. Though a message may look as if it's from your bank or even your friend, if you're at all suspicious, follow your instincts. Type the URL for your bank or PayPal or whatever directly into your browser if the message appears standard. Real financial institutions won't ask you to verify accounts via e-mail.

3. Kid Computing

a. Enforce a common area
Always make sure children use the computer in an area where you can easily keep an eye on them.

b. Limit gaming
Don't give the kids carte blanche on the PC and don't extend it to game consoles, either. Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii can limit kids' play based on ratings for games and DVDs. PlayStation 3 has different restriction levels. Xbox Live now includes a family timer, to prevent too much gaming per day or per week.

c. Enforce a common area
Always make sure children use the computer in an area where you can easily keep an eye on them.

d. Use a timer
Use time-based rules to prevent Internet use (or computer use) during off hours. It's built into Vista's User Accounts (even generates user-activity reports for you), and also in most parental-control software. You may even find a setting in your network router.

e. Limit gaming
You don't give the kids carte blanche on the PC, so don't extend it to game consoles, either. Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii can limit kids' play based on ESRB ratings for games. Xbox also sets limits based on MPAA ratings for DVDs. PlayStation 3 has different restriction levels. (Reset that default password of 0000, or Junior will reset it for you.) Xbox Live now includes a family timer, to prevent too much gaming per day or per week.

f. Beware new software
Kids find out fast if a parental control is limited to a certain kind of browser or software and will just download something new. Buy controls that work systemwide. Net Nanny Home Suite ($49.99, www.netnanny.com) is the most mature parental-control software available.

4. The Very Minimum

a. Install antivirus (AV)
i. Keep it up to date, run a regular scan, and let it check your incoming messages. Without this, your PC is virtually guaranteed to be infected.

b. Allow auto updates
Let Windows and Mac OS update when they want to, since Microsoft and Apple are constantly patching any security holes they find.

5. Security.

a. Privatise e-mail
Just about every Web service wants your e-mail address. If they need it only to send a confirmation, give them a temp address. 10 Minute Mail (10minutemail.com) will give you a disposable address, which you can read for 10 minutes.

b. Get a secondary e-mail address
The proliferation of free Web-based e-mail from Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft, and others means there's no excuse for giving out your regular e-mail to anyone but friends.

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Tips for Safer Computing

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