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+---- Thread: A beginners guide to online safety. (/showthread.php?tid=190)
A beginners guide to online safety. - Skill - 10-05-2009
A beginners guide to online safety.
Each day there are countless users who are getting hacked, key logged or phished in both the hacking world and the non hacking world. I am writing this guide to help improve your online safety.
Following this guide will not stop you from getting hacked but it will hopefully inform you of the careless mistakes many people make.
Tip 1:
When signing up for emails make sure you sign up to one with a lot of security. Please bear in mind that there is no definite security with any email service and you could lose your email accounts if you are not careful.
Tip 2:
To be safe, make sure you never use the same password more than once on different websites and IM's. If someone finds out your password on one site, they may know you use another site and they could take all your online accounts just for the fun of it.
Tip 3:
If you don't feel safe, change your password as often as you see fit. If you have any suspicion that somebody else knows your password, change it immediately.
Tip 4:
Never give out too much personal information to anyone. Even if you trust the people, they may decide to backstab you some time in the future and take your online accounts, such as emails and online banking accounts.
Tip 5:
When signing up for accounts such as YouTube, Google, Yahoo! or any other websites and forums you should use an email that doesn't include any personal information, this will prevent you from losing valuable accounts such as online banking accounts and PayPal. Always remember to never give personal emails to people who you are unfamiliar with, you could possibly get your email hacked if you're not careful.
Tip 6:
Scan your computer regularly. Make sure you scan at least 3 or 4 times a week, if necessary once every 2 or 3 days. If you think you have any infections on your computer, make sure you get them removed immediately. There are many great Anti Virus softwares out there which will help prevent you from further infections.
Tip 7:
Do not download files which look or seem suspicious unless you know what you're doing. If you feel uncertain about downloading a file that may infected, don't download it and report it to whoever is "in charge".
Tip 8:
When creating or changing a password make sure you don't use normal words, these could be easily cracked. Make a password with a mixture of capital letters and numbers. Make the password long if possible but not too long that you forget it. Between 8 and 12 characters is reasonable, make it longer if you wish. The stronger the password is, the harder it is to crack. Always keep a note of your passwords on paper or on your PC but make sure nobody else can access them.
Tip 9:
If someone random adds you on any IM service and they seem suspicious, they may be up to something. Do not trust them until you know who they are. Never accept random files off anyone unless you know they are trusted. Even then the files could contain infections.
Tip 10:
Always make sure your Anti Virus is turned on and not deactivated when browsing the internet. If your Anti Virus software is deactivated this may have been caused by infections on your PC. If this is the case you will need to get the infections removed. There are many people who are highly trained in malware removal throughout the internet and they can guide you through the process of removal.
You may notice that the majority of this guide is common sense but it's the lack of common sense that results in many users getting hacked.
Guide created by Skill @ supportforums.net. Please do not rip without my consent.
RE: A guide to online safety. - eXPerience™ - 10-05-2009
Nice guide mate...
RE: A guide to online safety. - Skill - 10-05-2009
Thank you, I know it is very basic but it will help out those that are quite new to their online experience.
RE: A guide to online safety. - Elektrisk - 10-05-2009
Nice guide ^^
A formatting tip, though; instead of the dark green, using a like, light blue, or something. It's kind of hard to read as it is now.
RE: A guide to online safety. - Glas - 10-05-2009
Thanks for the Guide
and yeah, Common sense is most common causes of hacking and computer problems (my parents...omg)
RE: A guide to online safety. - Skill - 10-05-2009
I agree with you about the text, I just didn't know which colour to use.
I chose the green because it matches the theme and so on. I will edit it later and try find a more suitable, readable colour.
Thank you for your replies.
EDIT:
How about these colours?
They are definitely easier to read.
RE: A guide to online safety. - Kharnage - 10-05-2009
Very nice guide, it will help a lot of people.
RE: A guide to online safety. - Skill - 10-05-2009
Thank you n4q, I appreciate your feedback.
RE: A guide to online safety. - WeZZi - 10-05-2009
Nice guide
RE: A guide to online safety. - Elektrisk - 10-05-2009
(10-05-2009, 01:13 PM)Skill Wrote: I agree with you about the text, I just didn't know which colour to use.
I chose the green because it matches the theme and so on. I will edit it later and try find a more suitable, readable colour.
Thank you for your replies.
EDIT:
How about these colours?
They are definitely easier to read.
The colors are great and legible now
