How to Protect Against Cybercriminals

With more people utilizing computers for personal and business transactions, the threat of cybercriminals is rising. Security is necessary to fight viruses, worms, spam, spyware and identity theft. New threats surface almost daily, and you need to guard against them. Taking a few precautions on your computer can help to ensure that you do not fall victim to cybercriminals.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Download antivirus and antispyware programs, update them regularly and scan your computer daily. You can schedule scans to run while you are not working on the computer to avoid any interruptions. Antivirus software should include firewalls.

2. Regard all emails from unknown sources as spam. Never reply to messages that ask for banking or any other personal information.

3. Cancel the option in your Internet browser to save user IDs and passwords. This is especially important for laptops, which are easy to steal.

4. Steer clear of peer-to-peer (P2P) software and downloadable software from Web 2.0 sites. Cybercriminals run throughout the networks of P2P software. If you need an updated version of a program to download, such as a video clip, go to the official site for that software and download from there.

5. Create a free email account and use it for shopping online. Yahoo!, Gmail and Hotmail all offer free email. This will reduce the amount of spam you receive in your regular email inbox.

Tips & Warnings

• Run updates before going online each day to protect against the latest threats.
• Do not run two software programs that perform the same operation, such as two antispyware programs. They can work against each other, leaving you vulnerable to cybercriminals.
• Avoid free software. Some antivirus and antispyware programs are available for free download, but these can be infected.

Resources

• Get your own free Yahoo! email account here.
• Learn about Gmail's search and storage options here.
• Check out Hotmail's email features here.