How to be safe online (internet) or when using a PC (for Non-IT guys)

 

Everybody uses computers and internet. There is no escape. It is part and parcel for everyday life in office and home. It does not require an IT brain to become a smart internet or PC user. All you need to do it adopt some habits that will make your PC and internet life easier and happier.

Passwords

• Do not re-use passwords across different email/web accounts.
• Make your passwords complex. Mix upper-case, lower-case, special characters and numbers to make your password literally impossible to guess or 'make out' while you type it.
• If you feel you will forget all those complex passwords, there is an easy way to remember them. Think of your favorite song or poem, take its first sentence and take first alphabet of each word in that sentence. For example, assume your favorite song is "Every night in my dreams, I see you, I feel you...", you can make a password out of its first 5 words like "enimd". Make first letter capital so it will be "Enimd". Now put some special character (- or _ or % or $ etc) and end it with a number (your first child's birth year?). So a password can be like Enimd_11. Sounds good? Now how can you make it unique across all accounts and still able to remember it? Not difficult.Take first two letters from the web account and somehow join it with your password. Let's say, if you use yahoo email, you can take y and a (first two letters). Put y before your password and a at the end. So your password will be yEnimd_11a for Yahoo!, gEnimd_11m for Gmail, hEnimd_11o for Hotmail. Isn't it easy enough? Same password but still unique across all the accounts! So you just have to be innovative with your password design.
• Remember, even then you have to keep changing your password after some time. What about a new song each year?
• Sometimes you are asked to select or set a "Password hint/recovery question" when you create a new account. Set a question that only you know the answer of. Not even a friend or family member of yours. What about a question like "How many marks did I secure in 6th class annual exams?". No one in world can guess that (most probably).
• Recently, the leading email/web account providers are saving your cell phone number as a security measure for changing password. Make sure you update your account and save your cell phone number. They will text your whenever your password will be reset or changed.

PC usage 

• If more than one person use same PC in your home, make a separate Windows login account for each user. This way you will avoid the trouble of someone else deleting your files and changing some configuration.
• Secure your home or office PC Windows account with a strong password (like in previous section). Keep changing it time to time. When leaving your desk, lock your PC or log off, if not shutting-down.
• Keep your PC protected with a strong Antivirus software. Make sure it keeps updating its virus definition.

Software Installation

• Most of the time, the problems of PC slowness and viruses result from irresponsible installation of software. Everybody downloads and installs software from internet which is fine. You just have to keep an eye on options when installing the software. Most people just press "Next - Next - Yes" to install the software which is wrong and irresponsible.
• During the installation, if software asks "Start automatically with Windows" or "Run when Windows starts", always UNCHECK or deny this option. You will run the software yourself when you need it.
• During the installation, if software gives you options to install some other FREE software, or program, UNCHECK or deny that option. Often, there is option to include a "toolbar" or "Search bar" on browser (IE or Firefox). Go without it. These things slow the browsing down and capture your activities in the background.

Do not install free software when you install some program

• If there is problem of PC slowness because some programs keep running in the background automatically. You can open that program or software, go to its Options menu and UNCHECK or remove the option of "start the program automatically with Windows".

In Program's Option menu, uncheck the option to Start with Windows

• Keep visiting the "Add/Remove Programs" or "Programs and Feature" section of your Windows. You can safely remove the programs you have not used for a while, or the programs you think you did not install. Especially make sure you remove those "Toolbars" and "Search bars".

Safe internet usage

• Many web accounts give you option to "Save Password" or "Remember Me". Be extra careful selecting this option. Especially on shared computer in office or home. Not at all in any internet cafe.
• If using credit card over internet for online shopping, make sure you see https in the browser's address bar, not the usual http. Mind that https and http are not same thing. Whenever you see https in the browser's URL or address bar, you can be sure that your information is safe because https is a secure mode wherein your typed information is encrypted.
• Presently, even leading free email account providers like Gmail, Yahoo, MSN (and so on) use https for login screen (authenticating the users). It is safe. If you do not see https on the login screen of such services, be careful.

Look for https for login and credit card input

•  Always logout from web accounts once you have checked emails.
• DO NOT use your work/office email account for personal communications, such as job application, family discussions or sharing political views. This email is controlled by your organization's IT department and they can access and read your email messages.
• On the other hand, some Non-IT guys are even afraid of using Yahoo!, Gmail or MSN email accounts for personal matters in their office environment. Don't worry. Those email accounts are safe (thanks to https). Your organization's IT guys cannot intercept email messages from these accounts (unless they can hire services of CIA or FBI!). So feel free to send CV's while sitting in your office.
• Keep checking your "Junk Mail" or "SPAM" folder in you email account. The email provider automatically filters inappropriate or advertisement messages and sends them to Spam. It is certain that it will even treat a genuine incoming email as junk and put it there.

Social Media (Facebook) usage

• Even the expert IT professionals need to be very careful sharing information or making contacts on Social Media like Facebook. Your "friends" on Facebook are closer to you than you think. Privacy is a big issue on social media.
• Only add people you know in real life as your friends in Facebook.

Only add people you know in real life as your Facebook friends.

•  Do not post status messages that announce your absence from your home. Such as "Leaving for Jeddah tomorrow for two days". It will tell everybody that from tomorrow you will not be at home for two days and some evil-minded "friend" of yours can plan a theft.

Some other tips

• Keep your home internet wifi secure with a key. Do not leave it open for your neighbors to enjoy free internet (and get into your home network).
• Keep your PC secure by turning on the Firewall. Simply speaking, firewall is a software that blocks unauthorized access into your computer from outside. Similarly, blocks viruses/spywares in your computers to access their servers through your internet/network connections. Firewall is located under Control Panel.
• If you have a laptop and you have the options of using either wired LAN connection or Wireless. Choose wired LAN connection because it will be faster and more stable. 
• Do not store your documents and important files on C drive. Use a folder on D or E drive. Because C drive is the one which usually gets formatted for a new Windows installation and you may lose your work or important data.