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Safety Tips
Do - • Make sure automatic updates are turned on for Microsoft products • Make sure your firewall is on • Make sure you have a good antivirus program and it is active and up to date • Make sure you have a good antispyware program(s) • Keep family members away from pornographic sites, many are contaminated • Look for “https://” in the address bar and the lock (lower right hand side of your screen) when ordering something on-line
Don’t - • Download anything free!!! Music, screen savers, cursors, games, etc • Click on links inside of email • Open attachments (photos are usually OK) • Respond to unsolicited email • Give out personal information when requested by email or phone such as credit card number social security number etc
Hardware • Avoid smoking • Keep pets away • Periodically have PC opened up and blown out • Purchase a good UPS • Turn off when not in use
If you have minors in the house • Set up a login for children with restricted rights • Purchase and configure a password protected Internet filter • Lay out usage and appropriate use ground rules • Be careful to avoid providing personal or identifying information to sites like myspace, facebook, etc • Monitor chat and instant message sessions. Instruct them to not erase the history and give you the password. Lay out repercussion guidelines for violations • Make sure they communicate any suspected verbal abuse or solicitations to you • Monitor their time spent on-line • Talk to your children’s friend’s parents. Give them a copy of this!
Wireless • Be aware of War Driving (people snooping for wireless access points and connecting without your permission) • Encrypt your connection • Change your router’s default password • Turn on MAC filtering • Hide your SSID • When using a public access point such as at a gas station, library or coffee shop, be aware that you may be connected to a fake access point and someone could be watching you’re every key stroke!
Important notes:
If you feel you may be a victim of identity theft • Call your local police department • Call your bank • Call your credit card companies • Get a copy of your credit report (www.annualcreditreport.com)
If you suspect your computer may be infected with a virus • Back up your data, contacts, favorites etc • Scan your above data for infections on a secure, clean computer • Wipe your hard drive • Reinstall your operating system, drivers and original programs behind a hardware based firewall • Take all appropriate security measures when installing updates, antivirus and anti-spyware • Call JWCS for an appointment with a security specialist if you are not absolutely sure how to do the above! : ) |
