THE WEBSITE PROMOTER

Sharing important and significant information to help you run your business and keep you safe, informed and vigilant online.

Too Many Passwords To Remember? Maybe this will help

If you are concerned about safety while online, you will use different passwords for different websites. After a while, keeping track of all those passwords becomes a real chore.

What you need is an easy way to look up those passwords when you forget them. The program I use is called Password Safe. It is FREE. You only need to remember the master password to get into the program.

Why should you use a program that requires its own password when you can keep track of your passwords in a text document or spreadsheet? In a word, security. If a hacker should break into your computer and find your unprotected list of passwords, guess what? Need I say more?

With all the trojan horses and other malware out there, it doesn't take much to infiltrate your computer and find unprotected information. Play it safe. Use a router (see below), use a good internet security software (Comcast customers can get it for free!), use a good antivirus program and protect your passwords.

Are You Missing the Front Door To Your House?

If your computer is connected directly to the modem supplied by your broadband internet service provider, then you are NOT protected and you may as well take off the front door to your home.

Your ISP's modem is a gateway to the internet. But it does not provide much protection except that most modems will not respond to a test ping from a potential hacker. Even so, a hacker might still locate your computer through various "comunication holes" (ports) that your computer uses to send and receive email and program updates.

Do you know that there are literally millions of infected computers that are used to send spam? Those computers are called zoombies. The owners don't know they are being used. A hacker has installed hidden software on their computers and can control the computer from a remote location to send spam at will.

How can you protect yourself? There are four basic steps:

• Use a router. A router sits between your computer and the modem. It contains a firewall which adds a protective layer. It is not foolproof, but it can help a lot. I like TigerDirect or Newegg for computer equipment.
• Use internet security software. Using top ranked software such as Norton Internet Security or McAfee Internet Security also adds another protective layer.
• Keep your computer up to date. How many of you with Microsoft Windows operating system have a little yellow shield-looking icon in the lower right hand corner of your screen that says "Updates ready to install" when you hover your mouse over it? As the saying goes, click it or lose it. Click the yellow icon and install the security updates or lose your data and maybe even control of your computer. It's that simple.
• Play it safe with email and the internet. Always check the link in an email before you click it, or if you are unsure, copy it and paste it into a browser. As for the internet, visit only reputable sites, although they too can get infected. Norton and McAfee can help protect your internet habits with their total protection settings.

Is there a topic you would like to us cover in a future issue? Let me know!

Best regards,

C.M. Rivera
PGR Creations
www.pgrcreations.com