Web Security Tips

The National Consumers League lists the different types of Internet scams. While there are legitimate operators in these sectors, there schemes have been reported as the modus operandi of Internet fraudsters.

Advance fee loans
Business opportunities and franchises
Charity scams
Credit card loss protection
Fake check scams
Information/Adult services
Investment scams
Magazine sales
Nigerian money offers
Prizes and sweepstakes
Pyramids and Multilevel marketing
Travel fraud
Bogus credit card [...]

Posted in Real-World Issues Comments(0)

Here are more tips from the Internet Fraud Watch specifically for identity theft, which is a real concern both online and offline.

Give your credit card or bank account number only when your are paying a secure site. Do not email credit card numbers.
Don’t provide your social security number unless it is clear why you need [...]

Posted in Real-World Issues Comments(0)

Here are general tips on how to avoid Internet fraud from www.fraud.org. Online as in real life, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Make sure the seller or charity you are dealing with is reputable and find out how they handle complaints.
Do not believe promises of “easy money” because they are most likely scams.
Make [...]

Posted in Real-World Issues Comments(0)

The Fraud Center of the National Consumers League lists the top Internet scams of last year. Fake Check Scams make up 29% of all compaints, making it the most common scam. Second and third are General Merchandise and Auctions, or goods bought online that are misrepresented or not delivered. Although Nigerian Money Offers are only [...]

Posted in Malicious Code Comments(0)

The new Ofcom report notes the continuing rise in media usage of under-55s, especially among the AB and C1 socio-economic classes and 16 to 24 year olds who spend more time online and engaging in more activities than individuals in other demographics groups. One important issue that was highlighted was the concern over identity fraud. [...]

Posted in Real-World Issues Comments(0)

The Office of Communications in the United Kingdom released the findings of a study on children’s media literacy last week. Here are a few highlights:
Viewership of television shows, films and video on the Internet are increasing among children. Most children say that they “can always find what they are looking for” online. Over half of [...]

Posted in Real-World Issues Comments(0)

By this time, most active Internet users have a profile on at least one social networking sites. While you can choose your privacy settings and limit the types of personal information that certain contacts can view, there are third-party applications which can access and collect your information. Once you give permission to the developers of [...]

Posted in Real-World Issues Comments(0)

To clean up your personal information after accessing the Internet through computers that are not your own, simply delete them. Go to the Tools menu of your Internet browser and select Options for Firefox or Internet Options for Internet Explorer. In IE, click Delete under Browsing History in the General Tab and individually delete temporary [...]

Posted in Malicious Code, Real-World Issues, SpyWare Comments(0)

When your work does not need any link to the internet or office network, you can try disconnecting it by disabling the network card or through some other means. Any Trojans or viruses that aim to steal information cannot defeat hardware constraints such as a pulled network cable. When using remote terminals or accessing the [...]

Posted in Malicious Code, Real-World Issues, SpyWare Comments(0)

The price we have to pay for privacy is great when were talking about getting charged illegally with respect to your credit card due to information leaked from an online transaction. True, many online transactions are protected by security through secure lines and all but there are still some that get through and get on [...]

Posted in Malicious Code, Real-World Issues, SpyWare Comments(0)