Riding the Internet Waves: How to Surf Safely and Survive

Just thinking about the dangers of "surfing the web" can be terrifying. Phishing, viruses, Trojan horses, and identity theft are just a few of the dangers you can face while swimming in the depths of the Internet.

The Internet also hosts other types of dangers such as predators looking to prey on children. For these dangers, simple common sense works the best. Don't ever give out any personal information to someone else in an online community chat. Monitor your child's Internet usage -- keep the computer in a public place where you can keep an eye on their activity. Don't ever agree to meet with someone you met online.



The other dangers I mentioned previously, viruses, phishing, Trojans, etc. are more difficult to deal with. They're more insidious. These dangers can victimize you even if you believe you're using a common sense approach to web surfing. I'm going to attempt to provide you with some "rules of thumb" to follow to keep yourself safe. I'll also show you where you can go for additional assistance amd learn more of the other dangers I mentioned previously, viruses, phishing, Trojans, etc. which are more difficult to deal with. They're more insidious. These dangers can victimize you even if you believe you're using a common sense approach to web surfing. I'm going to attempt to provide you with some "rules of thumb" to follow to keep yourself safe. I'll also show you where you can go for additional assistance as needed.


A Common Sense Approach to Using the Internet

How can you protect yourself from the dangers of browsing the Internet? For one, just as you would use some basic common sense to keep yourself or your child safe, you'd also use the same basic common sense to keep you and your computer safe.

First, you must employ some sort of anti-virus and/or anti-spyware software. There are many anti-virus/spyware vendors. All have web sites on the Internet you can visit for immediate assistance with viruses. Mcafee, Norton and Trend Micro are three great examples, though there's at least a dozen others.

There are also a few free products that are often just as good as those offered by the large commercial companies. Avast and AVG are two of the best in this category. They don't offer all the bells and whistles - they simply protect your computer from viruses.


What Exactly Are Viruses?


Let's quickly define what I mean by viruses, spyware, phishing, and Trojan horses. Viruses are programs that "self-replicate". When you run a program containing a virus, the virus gets copied to other programs on your computer. Then, when you share these programs with others, they also Let's quickly define what I mean by viruses, spyware, phishing, and Trojan horses. Viruses are programs that "self-replicate". When you run a program containing a virus, the virus gets copied to other programs on your computer. Then, when you share these programs with others, they also get the virus.

Spyware is software that either harasses you with sudden pop-up advertising on your computer, or tracks your online movements (sites you visit, chats, purchases, etc.) and sends this information online to the criminal's computer. This tracking allows individuals and organizations to learn more about your browsing habits, your personal interests, and possibly use this information against you as well. This activity also drags down your system's performace. A slow computer may be answered by spyware infesting your system.

A Trojan horse is a program that appears to do one thing but actually does something totally different. For example, a Trojan horse may pretend to be a utility program you might want to run to do something favorable to your computer. However, in reality, the program is accessing your private, personal data on your computer and sending it across the Internet to the Trojan's creator to use against you in some fashion.

To lessen your chances of catching a virus, spyware or Trojan house, avoid potentially "malicious" websites such as those full of advertising, porn, or sites that offer stolen "warez" software and products. Also, be careful when downloading any free software. They may be bundled with spyware to cover their expenses. The "free" anti-virus software I mentioned above stay in business through upgraded and commercial versions of their products. Backup your computer often, so if your computer becomes crippled with a virus, you can roll back your system to an earlier, virus-free date. At the very least, you will have the insurance of your data, such as family images and videos being safe

Don't Be Hooked By Phishing


Phishing is a scam technique used to try and trick you. A scammer will send you an email message that looks identical to one that you'd get from a real organization. However, this scammer wants you to click on a link from this email and sign-in to your account.

What actually happens is that you're directed to a site that looks idential to the real site. You log in with your correct information, and the malicious entity now has your login ID and password for the real site. They then log into the real site with your information and steal from you.

As an example, I often received emails that were apparently from Paypal telling me that my debit was approved. I would open the message and it said that if this debit from my checking account was incorrect, to click on the link provided in the email, log into Paypal, and correct the mistake. Of course, clicking on that link would mean I'd be logging into a fake Paypal site -- one that looked identical to the real thing, and I would be giving someone else all of my account information.

Combating phishing is very easy. Never, ever log into an account from a link in an email. If you want to check on the status of an account, close out the email and log in via your browser and manually type in the correct site address.


Beware of Scams


Likewise, beware of Internet scams. There are many and all boil down to one thing - you get something for nothing, but you need to "secure" this something with a "small" payment first. The old addage, "If it's too good to be true then it isn't true." applies to all Internet scams. If you find you've won the London lottery or some Nigerian sends you a letter telling you how you can get loads of cash if only you send money first, you should immediately delete these emails. They're scams. You can find out more information about Internet scams at the following sites:


Buy From Safe, Secure Sites


Yes, all these dangers exist, but you do have a powerful visual weapon, even if your computer has been hijacked - if a website is a scam, it will not have authentic security.

What is a secure site? A secure site encrypts the traffic from your computer to their computer and back. You will know if a site is secure by two things: The site's address will have an "https" in the front rather than just "http". Likewise, your browser will generally show some sort of "lock icon" in the status bar (the bar at the bottom of the screen) when you're at a secure site.

I've given you the most common ways to protect you and your system - use some kind of anti-virus/anti-spyware protection software and be aware of some of the most popular ways to hack into your system. Safe surfing is mostly common sense combined with using the right tools to keep your computer free of malware. There is no need to feel scared, if you use Happy surfing!

Article by Chris Molnar, publisher of Creditidentitysafe.com. Find identity theft solutions such as effective credit monitoring, tips on staying safe and the lastest news and legislation.