Safe Online Purchases
When making purchases online, try to use a third-party payment service such as PayPal or Amazon Payments because they offer increased protection for your credit card.
Never Disclose Password
If you get an email asking you to divulge an online account password, be suspicious. Any email that asks for your password or tells you to go to a website to confirm your password might be part of a scam called "phishing."
Website Nicknames
To protect your personal information, when a website asks you or your child to personalize the content on the site, use an online nickname instead of your actual name.
Wipe Hard Drive
Before you dispose of an old computer, remove any sensitive data that could be used by an identity thief. Use a program that wipes the hard drive clean or overwrites the data.
Phishing Warning
If you think you've been duped by an email "phishing" scam seeking your personal financial information, contact your financial institution immediately and change your password immediately.
Do Not Disclose
If you make friends through social networking or online gaming, remember that you may not know who they really are. Don't disclose your identity, address, birth date or other identifying information.
Check Firewall
Most computer operating systems come with a firewall to prevent hackers from accessing your computer when it's connected to the Internet. Make sure that your firewall is set up to protect your computer.
Laptop Backup
Back up your data before traveling with your laptop. If your computer is lost or compromised, you'll have a copy of your important documents.
No Replies to Spam
Never open spam emails or click on links inside -- including "unsubscribe" or "remove from list." Doing so allows spammers to harvest email addresses and send more unwanted email.
Automatic Log In
When using a public computer at a library or Internet caf
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