how to fight with viruses, secure your privacy

In everyday of your online life your need to fight with viruses, malwares, hacker attacks etc but another headache is your Privacy while Online. In the craze of social networking like Facebook, Google Buzz, MySpace, Twitter, Bebo, Habbo, etc, people are making more information about themselves accessible to strangers than ever before. That why there is a big issue of your online privacy.

Here some ways you can protect your privacy online.

My Info: Think twice about disclosing any personal information. Avoid using your real name online. Set clear guidelines for children about when and how they can reveal information. Be especially cautious of ‘fast friends’ who you have just met online but who ask you to reveal personal information or want to meet you offline.

Be wary of disclosing personal information on a work or personal web site. Use a disposable, anonymous email account for websites that demand an email address to register. If you need to enter an email address but won’t get any email from the website (sometimes sites require you to check incoming email for login details), you can use “username@example.com” as an address. This is a protected email address that will never reach a real company or user.

Cookie: Set your browser to warn you when a cookie is installed. Note that some sites will not work if you block cookies completely. Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Microsoft Internet Explorer etc will let you enable and disable cookies on a site by site basis so you can allow them on sites you trust. Use an anti-spyware program that scans for so-called tracker cookies. There are also cookie management programs that can delete old cookies and help manage them. Use a plain text email display instead of HTML email so that tracking files and cookies can’t be included in email files.

Be Safe and Secure: Use encrypted links for sensitive communications; for example a VPN to connect to the office. Use an SSL-encrypted web mail account or use encrypted email. Assume anything that is sent without encryption can be read by third parties. Use encryption.

Spyware or viruses that install keyboard trackers can actually log the keys you press as you type and send them back to the hacker who installed it. These are commonly called ‘keylogger viruses.’ Check your computer regularly for spyware and viruses. Switch off Java, Javascript and ActiveX in your browser and only enable it on a site-by-site basis. Read any ‘privacy’ policy. Many are, in fact, grossly misnamed waivers of all privacy. Look for trust signs from organisations like Which that validate minimum standards of privacy and other good practice. Remember that a secure link, with a padlock and https, doesn’t say anything about the site’s business practices or attitude to privacy.

Change Security/Privacy Settings & Name: Google's chief executive, Eric Schmidt, has said young people might have to change their names when starting adult life to escape the shadow of their dodgy past. Many adults already use aliases for sites like Facebook so only those who know that know where to find them. A lot of Facebook users, to name just one social networking site, simply don't bother taking enough interest in this but it offers you some genuine control over who sees what. Here everyone may know what you doing here.
Use Strong Passwords: This is most imp thing but still people just using their nickname, birthdate, pet's name, or roll no. To add to the problem, there are thousands of hacking guides specifically designed to get into Facebook which are available via Google. The best password contains a long, interspersed combination of lower-case letters, capital letters and numbers.

Tagged in Photo: Most of image sharing or social networking sites allow other people to "tag" photos of you but you have the opportunity to remove it, which is sometimes wise. So pay attention when you are prompted to do such things.

Never use dates of birth/address/mother's maiden name: You must avoid using such things, coz these are almost invariably used as security questions for banks and credit card databases. Therefore giving them up compromises your security and makes it easier to forge your identity, "clone" your cards and steal your money etc.
Never Reply to Spam Emails: This is a old way but still working to fool people. If you get an unsolicited email from any org or company wanting to give you a high amount of money for a simple task, never reply and delete it. It's a scam mail and harmful to you.

Not Forget to Log-Out: When your browsing at cyber cafe or communal space, never forget to log out completely. Other person can get onto the same system you've just left and can see your mails or profiles if you have not logged out properly.

Safe While on Wi-Fi: If you've wi-fi system for browsing at home, make sure to set a good password. Otherwise someone can dive into easily.