Protect your personal information

Online safety is a key issue now that so much of our daily lives are conducted over the Internet. We do business, communicate, share information, shop and socialize within this virtual online world. But just as in the real world, there are people who look to exploit the Internet through harmful or criminal behavior.

Most of us have heard the stories of corporations damaged by hackers, viruses and cyber attacks that cripple IT systems. Many companies have been targets for attempts to gain unauthorized access to computers, with banking details and other personal information stolen.

The main threats online are from:

• Uninvited visitors who may be trying to hack into your computer to access your financial information
  
• So-called 'phishing' emails, pretending to be from your bank to get you to unknowingly reveal these details to them
  
• Spam emails which install 'spyware' on your PC to run in the background, letting unwanted visitors spy on what your type to access your passwords and banking details
  
• Malicious software, called 'malware,' which installs viruses to damage your computer's internal system
  

Some PC users like to block access to particular sites, like chat rooms, which may be unsafe for young children using the PC to visit. This is because there are those online whose interest is not in getting at your money or causing malicious damage to your system, but enticing children into revealing personal details about themselves or meeting them without supervision.

All of these threats can be costly or damaging to the victim. So when I wanted to join the online auction site, eBay*, to buy and sell things online, I had to make sure my personal and financial details were safe, and that only I could access the Web site from my PC.
Step by step

1. Before I visited the auction Web site to become a member, I first had to ensure I had adequate security measures to protect my PC from unauthorized access and virus attacks. Many home computers do not have the same security measures as corporate, networked ones. So I made sure I had set my PC to prompt me to enter a security password when it is first switched on. I found the command for this in the administration and controls area of my PC's system in its main menu.
   
2. I also set myself up as the administrator of the PC, so I could create individual user accounts for each of the people who regularly use it to access the Internet. And I set up each account to require password access and provide different, preset levels of access to the Internet. I manually blocked sites I knew could be harmful to the younger PC users. I also made sure all the user names and passwords I'd created were stored securely away from my PC, so that I could easily change or update them periodically, if necessary.
   
3. I then checked what security software I already had installed on my PC for preventing virus attacks and unauthorized remote access or monitoring. I did this by checking what security programs I already had installed on my computer. Some home PCs are sold with security software packages that either protect you from the moment you go online or that let you try the software free for a trial period, after which they prompt you to click through to the security company's Web site to register the product and pay for its continued use and updates.
   
4. My PC had no such software pre-installed, so I used the Internet to search for security software, and the search delivered a number of companies who make their home PC security programs available for download online, like McAfee's Internet Security Suite* and Symantec's Norton*. I made sure the program I chose offered anti-virus and spyware protection, and a firewall to create a secure, virtual boundary around my PC system when it is online. I also made sure my PC was running a compatible system and had enough spare storage to save the security program on the computer.
   
5. I clicked to select the product that best suited my needs, and the security company's Web site took me to a secure online area to make payment for a year's subscription to the chosen security software package. I entered my personal and credit card details to make the payment and process the transaction.
   
6. Once my payment was successfully authorized and the transaction was complete, the Web site prompted me to double-click on an icon that appeared with the name of the product I'd just bought. This opened a wizard or window on my desktop to take me through the installation process step-by-step. I chose to install the program to the same folder where all my other programs are stored. And, once complete, the program opened a welcome window, confirming the installation was complete and successful. It asked me to confirm my personal details for registration and update purposes. It also automatically scanned my PC system and files for security issues, producing a report highlighting any that it found, with prompts to fix, delete or replace any corrupt or damaging files.
   
7. I was then able to visit the online auction Web site, safe in the knowledge that no one would be able to access or see any of my personal or financial information unless I specifically wanted them to. I registered my details and created an account with a user name and password that the site would recognize automatically when I wanted to buy something, instead of having to make me repeatedly enter credit card details. This registration process also meant no one using my PC could access the Web site as me to spend my money.
   
8. Now, when I go online, I also make sure my anti-virus software is up to date, as new types of malware are created every day. I review password access for user accounts regularly and make sure I never give my personal or financial details to anyone online that isn't from a trusted source.