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WhiteCanyon Provides Information to Protect Your Family

June 2006

Protecting yourself and your family requires more than the right tools—you need to have the right knowledge as well.

This issue of the WhiteCanyon Computer Security Newsletter will show you some ways to protect your family without having to stay offline. We've also included some ideas for last-minute Fathers' Day gifts.

Article—Keeping Your Family Safe Online
Suggested Products—WipeDrive PRO and Recover My Files

Keeping Your Family Safe Online

Internet access allows your family to easily communicate with friends and family through e-mail and instant messaging. However, these useful communication tools may also put your family and computer at risk. Security and privacy issues should be some of the most important concerns for Internet users.

Read on for some simple and effective tips to keep your family communications over e-mail and instant messaging private and secure.

Has Your E-mail Address Been Stolen?

Ever wonder how your inbox suddenly filled up with unwanted, trashy e-mails? Spammers crawl the Internet in search of e-mail addresses to add to their lists. Hackers use e-mails to propagate their viruses. Phishers use e-mails to lure you into scams.

Here are some ways to protect yourself that won't cost you a nickel.

Choose the right e-mail address.
An e-mail address such as sally12@hotmail.com is a prime target for spammers. Spammers take every normal name, add some numbers to it, and test all those e-mails. If an e-mail they send doesn't bounce, they've found a valid e-mail address. It is better to use words and phrases to personalize your e-mail, resulting in an e-mail address more like sally-sweeth-tooth@hotmail.com that would be harder to guess.
Protect your e-mail address.
Create one e-mail address that you give only to close family members. This will help cut down on the amount of spam you receive. Create a "disposable" Web e-mail address (such as one from an MSN® Hotmail® account) that you can use when registering for free software, signing up for newsletters, or even when ordering online. Most spam should end up in this extra e-mail instead of your main account.
Do not post your e-mail address on blogs, forums, or web pages.
Do not post any e-mail address that you want to keep spam-free on a web page or any public forum. Spammers crawl the Internet in search of e-mail addresses, and this means if you post your private e-mail address in a blog, an Internet forum, or any other public place, you could end up receiving thousands of spam e-mails.
Avoid replying to spam messages.
Even a reply with an unsubscription request tells the spammer that your e-mail address is valid and active. The spammer will then flood your e-mail inbox with more messages.
Never open an attachment or click a link in an e-mail from anyone you do not know.
Clicking links or opening attachments can cause a host of problems on your computer. Your home page and browsing settings can be changed. Your computer may start displaying pop-ups. Viruses and spyware are commonly spread through e-mail attachments. The best solution is to have your anti-virus software scan all attachments before you open them. (Check your software for instructions.)

How Can I Instant Message Safely?

Instant messaging can be a fun and effective way to communicate. However, instant messaging also opens a line of communication between two computers and can be the pathway used in attacks.

Here are some tips for making instant messaging safe:

Don't log your messages.
Instant messaging programs often keep a log of all your messages. This is convenient but can also be a risk, since someone can easily find and copy all your chat logs. Be sure to turn off the logging feature if it is important that your conversations remains private.
Encrypt your messages.
Most instant messaging programs do not protect your messages and logs. This means that someone could find and read everything you have typed.

There are some instant messaging programs that allow you to encrypt your messages. You can add this extra level of security by manually configuring your instant message program or by installing software such as Messenger Plus! or Gaim.

Messenger Plus! is a small extension for the popular MSN Messenger chat program. It provides the option to encrypt all your chat logs with a password. For more information, visit: http://www.msgplus.net/.

Gaim is a multi-protocol instant messaging program that lets you send securely encrypted messages to your friends and family, as long as both people have it installed. For more information visit: http://gaim.sourceforge.net/.
Carefully choose screen names.
Each IM program requires you to create a screen name, which is similar to an e-mail address. Screen names identify you to your friends and family. However, make sure to choose screen names that do not expose personally identifiable information that you would not want strangers to know, such as passwords or birthdates.
Be careful about accepting files.
Never open pictures, download files, or click links in messages from people you do not know. If they come from someone you do know, then confirm with them that the message (and its attachments) is safe to open. If it is not, or you are unsure, then close the instant message immediately, and consider blocking the sender to prevent further attacks.
Exercise caution when using public computers.
Public computers are often available for use at libraries, schools, and other public facilities. If you use a public computer, do not select the feature that allows you to log on automatically or save your login information. People who use the computer after you would be able to see and use your screen name to log on.
Only instant message people you know.
This is especially important for children. Children love the power of communication that instant messaging gives them. Unfortunately, feelings of "stranger-danger" are not as strong when communicating over the Internet, and it is easy for children to accidentally reveal details that allow strangers to learn personally identifiable information. Parents need to make sure their children understand the dangers of the Internet so that they can behave responsibly when instant messaging. Keeping computers with Internet connections in an open part of the house and making sure that kids only communicate with people they know also helps to prevent problems with instant messaging.

E-mail and instant messaging security are becoming more important for families as identity theft becomes more widespread every day. Protecting your online communications with family and friends does not have to be difficult. To have the peace of mind you deserve, use the tips above and exercise caution. Additional security tips and software can be found at http://www.whitecanyon.com.

Suggested Products

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