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Tips for online security

We are all exposed every day to online security issues, many of us believe that it’s not a matter of; IF, it’s a matter of WHEN.

The same fraternity that started the internet is also the same fraternity that hacks the internet. Much like; if people can invent locks and safes they sure know a way to overcome their own inventions. What is true is; if you can make it harder to break in, then your online hacker or regular burglar will move on to easier pickings, then the safer you will be.

Here are our top tips to protect your online property.

Email security

email security tips on Biz-find

Believe it or not; people still click on spurious emails with clever headings:

Re: Generally means you have already engaged in a conversation, and early in the morning where most people read this emails yawning into their coffee, it’s quite easy to assume you have already written to them, so you click and then you realise you’ve been had! It’s so easy to stick a; re: heading in your email, I wonder what the top email providers are doing to combat this? Although the fallout from this is generally an unsolicited advert, the more imaginative email headings are becoming more and cleverer. The one I cannot resist is ‘Hello!’

Here’s a tip for hackers: try:

Your website
Meeting time?
Long time no speak
I’ve a referral for you
Need help?

Although the majority of us can just sigh and delete, some of us are compelled to read about Mr. Umbongo’s 10 million dollars from his late uncle who was the Ambassador to some obscure West African nation and wants to stash it in your bank account. Do I have to tell you it’s a scam? If you follow it to the end the money will actually show in many accounts for a few days. This is what the scammers rely on, the bank clearance times, and they ask you for money for charges, a tiny amount compared to what you are getting, and guess what? Yes the money never clears in your account!

The worst kind is the ones with dodgy attachments; ‘We have a delivery for you please click to see the delivery docks,’ or the ‘tax rebate attached’, or the one from a friend saying ‘I’ve just seen this awful picture of you on Google click here!’ (Your mate has been hacked!).

Once you click and download; the Trojan is then added to your computer and it can see your keystrokes, and if you have the same password for many accounts; say bye-bye to you identity.

You should have another email attached to your standard email in case you are hacked and a phone number and security questions your first dog uh-uh; there are lists of dog names out there!

Passwords

I, as an online marketer, have a different password for all important accounts and the same one for accounts that have no security issues for me, and I never ever ask my computer to remember them. The important accounts have symbol upper case letters and are 8 characters long, and are changed regularly, and are personal things for me , movie quotes, favourite albums, etc.

Password security tips on Biz-find UK

The only way I can keep them safe is to write them all in a book, now you may say well that’s crazy, but I’ve never ever lost that book since I got it for the Euro football tournament in UK last, so there you go!

Sometimes we need a solution to an issue we have online, so we Google search and we see a free download, it looks kosher so we download in a bid to find a quick solution, If you can, try not to, the downloads themselves you find on Google, Bing, Baidu whatever are generally ok, but it’s the sneaky downloads that join in on the ride, take you time and see if you can find a way without a download.

Just this morning I need a way to convert a PDF document to Excel, there were many downloads, even Adobe offering a paid option, but I decided on the hard way and followed a tutorial; took me 5 attempts and a lot of yelling at the PC but I was proud of myself in the end!

Scan your computer regularly and make sure you have some protection like; Mc-Affee or Norton, after you have downloaded Mc-Affee free you must go into your control panel and uninstall all the daft annoying programmes that sneak in with their free download, they are not so much suspicious as they are downright annoying.

Social Networking.

Social networks are now so commonplace and ubiquitous even Gran and Grandad are on them – and don’t skanky hackers know this? With well over a billion people using social media platforms, to hackers they’re like pots of honey for bees; irresistibly enticing

There is a list out there called the ‘fools list’ when you click on stuff like a Facebook post asking for an ‘Amen for this little sick child’ you are then added to the list and you will get more and more of these emails

A good friend of mine’s wife had her very profitable Facebook shop page hacked just this week, and she was kicked off super admin, Facebook seems completely helpless to do anything about it. The number one reason Facebook accounts get hacked is because of an easy password. It’s not that hackers are extremely clever it’s mainly that the general public are lazy and make too easy.

One thing I do is always get my Mum to be admin with me on my Facebook pages, so there is at least a chance you can get back into your pages or someone you trust so they can at least help tell Facebook from the inside.

Don’t click and share anything unless you know them explicitly.

Be careful with third party apps on Facebook, Twitter and so on. Before installing an app research its safety and track record. If you have any doubts, don’t install it.

Out an about

Be wary of taking your PC into an internet café, how cool a job is it to sip Lattes all day and wait for some business man to come in and log into his online bank account and you as the faceless hacker sips away and downloads his bank information, there are much harder ways to earn a living I am sure!

dangerous-hacker security tips on Biz-find UK

Internet Cafe security

If you use internet cafe PC’s, ask about their security before you go online. And do we guys go weak when that stunning babe just happens to sit at the next screen; we lose track of our assets to concentrate on hers, it’s the dream come true, but watch out, this babe could be after YOUR Hidden Assets.

Make sure you have logged out of all your accounts when you are to leave an internet café. I would always sit and finish my coffee for another ten minutes after I have switched off, many people take your seat just after you, and whilst you are not fully logged out, Its happened to me, I’ve sat in a seat, opened up the café PC, and I was straight into some guys Facebook, I liked a couple of my pages as him, and logged out, mwaha haaa Evil huh!

Domain names

My personal favourite, I begin every online marketing training session by asking my people how safe their domain name is. If your webmaster bought it with his credit/debit card then technically he owns it in the eyes of the domain host! And some domain names are worth a fortune! Buy your own domain names with your cards and give your webmaster access to the hosting account and NEVER EVER access to your domain name!

Not just online

Some people are just oblivious to the personal space and private nature of others, they have no EQ so to speak and it is a pet peeve of mine and I am sure many others, when people on public transport are louder than they need to be on a busy train or bus.

One time this hapless bozo on my train during Bangkok rush hour was buying some tickets to a concert and told over 80 people in the carriage his Credit Card numbers and even security code 3 digits on the back. We all looked at one another and thought should we all go the concert with him? Many times we all have to speak to people in public BUT I would NEVER conduct banking over the phone in a public place!

Alan Watson’s book ‘Hidden Assets’ is a thrilling ride into Billionaires, the depths they will go to when they really need something, hacking, and personal identity theft, and although thoroughly entertaining fiction, a lot is based on the truth about online security and is a hell of a page turning romp, if only all hackers resembled Anna-Tina…download it here: