Page 265 - DCAP104_EXPOSURE_TO_COMPUTER_DISCPLINES

Exposure to Computer Disciplines

Notes 14.1.12 Secure Your Mobile Connection
If you’re traveling and using internet hot spots, free Wifi or internet cafes, you must take extra
precautions. Make sure that your web email access is via secure (https) connections, or that your
regular mail is over an encrypted connection as well. Don’t let people “shoulder surf” and steal
your password by watching you type it in a public place. Make sure your home Wifi has WPA
security enabled if anyone can walk within range.
14.1.13 Don’t Forget the Physical
An old computer adage is that “if it’s not physically secure, it’s not secure.” All of the precautions
I’ve listed above are pointless if other people can get at your computer. They may not follow the
safety rules I’ve laid out. A thief can easily get at all the unencrypted data on your computer if
they can physically get to it. The common scenario is a laptop being stolen during travel, but I’ve
gotten reports of people who’ve been burned because a family member or roommate accessed
their computer without their knowledge.

It all might seem overwhelming, but it’s not nearly as overwhelming as an actual security problem
if and when it happens to you. While we might want it to be otherwise, the practical reality of the
internet, and computing today, is that we each must take responsibility for our own security online.

If you’re traveling and using internet hot spots, free Wifi or internet cafes,
you must take extra precautions. Make sure that your web email access
is via secure (https) connections, or that your regular mail is over an
encrypted connection as well. Don’t let people “shoulder surf” and steal
your password by watching you type it in a public place. Make sure your
home Wifi has WPA security enabled if anyone can walk within range.

14.2 Protect Yourself

The best defense against identity theft is to do business only with reputable merchants. Apply
the proverbial sniff-test when selecting an online retailer. Does it feel and look legit? Check the
merchant at the Better Business Bureau, or look for their ranking on the Internet Retailer 500
list. Check out for feedback on opinion sites like (Epinionsandbizrate). In other words, do your
homework before you plunk down your credit card.
Check the retailer’s privacy policy, too. It should specify what they will and won’t do with your
information. (Note that those policies change, especially when a company changes hands). You’d
be surprised how many sell online merchants sell your e-mail and address to third parties. Search
the privacy policy for terms like third-party, e-mail address, or personally identifiable information;
that should help you find out what a retailer plans to do with your information.
Assuming you are working with a reputable merchant, be sure you are actually on the correct
site. A phishing attack or network redirection attack can direct you from e-mail or another Web
address to a fake site (which may look exactly like the real thing). One Firefox plug-in,LocationBar
2 can help: It makes clear what Website you are using.

Regardless of your best efforts, your information may still be compromised. That’s why it’s also
important to monitor your identity through services such as Debix, Citi IdentityMonitor, and
Experian). They will alert you when any new credit requests appear in your file. Get into the
habit of checking your credit card and banking accounts frequently to make sure there are no
unauthorized charges.

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