Internet
Security Issues Internet
Security Issues
In dealing with sending and receiving information over the Internet, you must always be aware of the security of your transaction. You may be wondering why, and the answer is the same on the Internet as for elsewhere; there are unscrupulous people out there. There are people that would like nothing better than for you to transmit your password or credit card number over an unprotected connection so that they could pick it up like paper boats floating down a stream. They'll charge your credit cards, or use your account to access your local network; in short, they'll take what they can get.
This may sound far more grave than it actually is. The majority of "hackers" out there simply are exploring the nooks and crannies of the Internet and mean no real harm. Sometimes, however, their innocent prodding could impede performance or damage system integrity inadvertently. Then there are those that for whom it is not a sport, and these, the more serious "crackers" have an active interest in stealing whatever is left open to them.
The most important item to keep secure is your password -- to whatever Internet service you are using that requires one. Making your password simple is the biggest security risk around.
Passwords are safest when they are not something like your middle name, your birthdate, office phone number, spouse's or child's name or birthdate, something guessable. They should also not be commonly used words, "secret", "safe", or worst of all "password". All of these words are in these electronic dictionaries. It is also more difficult for someone to guess if your password has numbers or other punctuation (if allowable) in it.
What is most important, however, is that you do not broadcast your password. It does no good to choose a good password only to spread it all over the Internet. Be careful of who you tell your password to, if anyone at all. Should someone get your password, they could damage not only your account but also the entire system your account resides on.
E-mail is not secure. If you must send information over the Internet through email, you might want to consider encrypting the information before sending it. This is generally not that big of a problem due to the sheer volume of e-mail traffic, but be aware of the inherent insecurity. If you're sending something top secret, it might be wise to learn more about encryption.
Be very careful of your credit card numbers. There have been some problems with this in the past. Some browsers are capable of automatically encrypting the messages it exchanges with the remote site, creating a "secure" connection. In most cases, with a secure connection it is relatively safe to transmit your credit card number. Most browsers will warn you before sending out any information if the connection is insecure. But always, if you doubt in any way the security of your connection, do not give out your credit card number. Most places on the Internet that do business will also have an 800 number that you could call and place your order on as well.
So take these simple precautions and surf the Internet happily and safely.
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