Protect Yourself from Online Hackers

In the age of social media, you can’t be too careful – like it or not – all that online socializing leaves you exposed, with your cyber signature out there for others to see. And, even if you are not a social media maven, online shopping, gaming and emailing can still give a hacker the necessary information to steal your identity. Follow these tips to avoid being one of the 600,000 Facebook users that get hacked daily.

• Choose your friends wisely. According to a 2010 experiment by tech firm, BitDefender 94 percent of male Facebook users are likely to accept requests from women they find attractive, even if they don’t know them. In many cases these women may not be who they appear. Hackers thrive on the ability to access more of your information without really knowing you. Don’t accept “friends” into your social media circle unless you truly know them.
• Use secret passwords. When choosing passwords, security questions and the answers to those security questions – use ideas and information that no one would know or decipher from any websites you use. If a hacker clicks the “forgot your password” button on your account, he can generally visit your social media pages and figure out the name of your dog or hometown. If possible, make up your own security questions and consider using fictional information for all the answers, so no one will be able to guess the right answer with a quick glimpse into your life.
• Don’t trust public networks and computers. If you are using Wi-Fi at the local coffee shop or using computers at an Internet café, don’t assume your information is safe. Hackers can install software to detect and track activity on a computer, or view information on public networks. Using public computers to check sensitive and personal data can allow someone to come along behind you and simply click the back button in the browser to access your stuff. If you must log into a personal account on a public network, be certain the web address begins with “https” instead of “http.” The added “s” means the site uses SSL encryption to protect your privacy.