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<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nAn example of a phishing email pretending to be from everyone\u2019s favorite federal agency (Image: Phishme.com).<\/i><\/p>\n Some phishing attempts are crude and easy to spot; others would fool all but an expert. But the defense is easy: Just don\u2019t click on any links inside an email. If you got an email purportedly from your bank, type your banks\u2019 web address into the browser and go there directly.<\/p>\n Read: How to Protect Yourself from Phishing<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n The other way scammers get you is by sending a bogus attachment, like an invoice or a contract for something you allegedly ordered. Opening the document usually infects your computer. If you don\u2019t recognize the sender, just delete the email. If the message appears to come from a friend or colleague, make triple-sure they actually sent it to you before you open it.<\/p>\n Sexting, cyberbullies, and cat-fishing \u2014 being a parent of an Internet-age kid isn\u2019t easy. The best thing you can do is educate yourself. The Connect Safely site has a slew of helpful, non-hysterical guides to keeping kids safe from cyberbullies, dealing with SnapChat and Instagram, how to handle the mobile phone conundrum, and a ton more. Common Sense Media is also an excellent resource for how to be cyber parent, with recommendations for age-appropriate sites, apps, games, and the like.<\/p>\n Read: Keep Your Kids Safe from the Big Bad Web, No Matter Their Age<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n If your kids are online, it\u2019s pretty certain they\u2019re spending a lot of time on YouTube and other video sites. Most of that content is innocent (if mind numbing); some of it isn\u2019t. You need to at least be aware of what they\u2019re watching and put some controls on it. If they\u2019re still in single digits, you might to install Google\u2019s YouTube Kids app on their tablets or phones.<\/p>\n Read: 10 Ways to Make YouTube Safer for Kids<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n Just like in real life, most of the bad guys on the Internet hang out in dicey neighborhoods \u2013 like adult sites, bit torrent search engines, and pirate Internet TV stations. At some point nearly all of them will pop up a message saying that your Flash player is out of date or that you need to install a new video player to watch whatever it is you\u2019re trying to watch. Don\u2019t do that.<\/p>\n This pirate site wants me to update Flash, but it\u2019s really trying to get me to install malware. (Also: Don\u2019t use Flash if you can avoid it.)<\/i><\/p>\n Best case scenario is you\u2019ve installed adware \u2014 software that will splatter advertisements over all of your web pages. Worst case, somebody just made your computer part of their zombie army.<\/p>\n Read: <\/b><\/i>What Is Adobe Flash, and How Can You Get Rid of It?<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n Yes, passwords suck. But until we get a better replacement, we\u2019re stuck with them. So do yourself a favor and use a password manager like 1Password, Dashlane, or Lastpass. They will both act as a password vault, storing all your thousands of logins for different sites, as well as auto-generate fiendishly difficult-to-crack passwords on your behalf. Just don\u2019t forget the master password to your vault, or you\u2019re screwed. (Tip: Use a song lyric or some other easy-to-remember-yet-unique phrase for your password, the longer the better.) They aren\u2019t foolproof, but they\u2019re better than using \u201c123456\u201d for everything.<\/p>\n Read: Weekend Project: Fix Your Passwords<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n One way to find out if your password has been stolen is to see if someone is logging into your accounts from an unknown machine. With more and more sites using Facebook and Twitter as ways to prove you are who you say you are, this becomes especially more important.<\/p>\n Facebook has a Security Checkup page you can use to see if someone else has been logging into your Facebook account and log out of any unknown ones with a click. Companies like Apple, Google, Twitter and Yahoo have deployed so-called \u201ctwo factor\u201d (or \u201ctwo-step\u201d) authentication, which requires you to enter an additional piece of information when logging in from an unfamiliar device \u2014 usually a 4 or 6 digit code sent via text to your phone. If you think someone else might have access to your accounts, it\u2019s a good idea to change your password and then implement two-factor.<\/p>\n Read: A Cheat Sheet for Securing Your Accounts with Two-Step Verification<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n Most people don\u2019t realize this, but your home Wi-Fi actually has two passwords. One is for the network \u2014 that\u2019s the one you type when you log on from a new device. The other password is for the router; this allows you to go in and change network settings (like your Wi-Fi password). Most people remember to change the first set of logins but not the second, and the router defaults are widely known (usually \u201cadmin\u201d and \u201cpassword\u201d). So anyone within range of your home network could log into your router, change the settings, lock you out of it if they wanted to, or simply capture all the information flowing out of your network. Not good.<\/p>\n (Image: Cisco)<\/i><\/p>\n You\u2019ll want to change your router\u2019s defaults. Instructions vary depending on the router, so you\u2019ll need to visit the manufacturer\u2019s Web site and search for \u201cchange router admin password.\u201d (You can find instructions forNetgear, Linksys, and Belkin here).<\/p>\n Read: Change Your Wi-Fi Password to Something You\u2019ll Actually Remember<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n If you\u2019re logging on from a crowded cafe or an airport lounge, you\u2019ll probably see \u201cfree\u201d Wi-Fi hotspots galore. Some are legit, some are definitely bogus. You\u2019ll want to find out if in fact the cafe or lounge offers free Wi-Fi, and what the network name is, before you log on. Otherwise you could be handing all your Internet traffic to some rogue access point or that creep behind you with a laptop. When in doubt, pony up for a legit public hotspot you know is secure.<\/p>\n Even if you\u2019re on a legit public Wi-Fi network, someone else on the same network could snoop on your data unless you take the right precautions. First, if you are logging onto your Webmail or account, make sure to use the encrypted version of the Web site \u2013 the address always starts withhttps <\/i>(not http<\/i>). Otherwise, anything you type is sent in plain text and can be captured by someone else on the same network.<\/p>\n A good explanation of how 2-step authentication works, courtesy of Google.<\/i><\/p>\n The best option, if you can: Connect to the Internet using a virtual private network (VPN), especially if you\u2019re dialing into work. This creates an end-to-end encrypted connection between you and the Net, making it virtually impossible for anyone to spy on you.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got kids at home, technology can give you a handle on what they\u2019re doing on the Net. Circle can monitor every device on your home network and let you set rules about where and when kids can access the Net (if you have an iPhone \u2014 Android support is coming later this year). The upcoming Screen app will let you control all your home devices from your phone. Norton Online Family Premier can cordon off the nastier parts of the net and give you a window into their chat conversations and video consumption. And of course, anti-malware software can help fight off the nasties for everyone.<\/p>\n Ultimately, though, the burden is on you. Like liberty, the price of Internet safety is eternal vigilance. And not just on one day each year.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n Source: Yahoo Tech<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" February 9 is Safer Internet Day. For the last 13 years, cyber advocates across the world have used the second Tuesday in February to remind people to be careful out there. The day is now observed in more than 120 countries. And while most of the discussion is focused on keeping kids out of harms […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":188356,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[106],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nRule #4: Don\u2019t touch that file<\/h2>\n
Rule #5: Become a cyber-savvy parent<\/h2>\n
Rule #6: Don\u2019t be a boob about the Tubes<\/h2>\n
Rule #7: Don\u2019t install that new video player<\/h2>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nRule #8: Use a password manager<\/h2>\n
Rule #9: Protect your logins<\/h2>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nRule #10: Secure all your Wi-Fi passwords<\/h2>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nRule #11: Don\u2019t get sucked in by fake Wi-Fi hotspots<\/h2>\n
Rule #12: Use an encrypted connection in public<\/h2>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nRule #13: Technology can help \u2014 but it can\u2019t solve everything<\/h2>\n