Thing #20: Security & Technology Threats

(Hey everyone, I know your checklist says Thing #20 is "Browsers", but -- due to some technology requirements that we are still working on -- we are skipping that topic for now.  So Thing #20 is Security & Technology Threats instead.)

Our computers, our personal information, and even our reputations are at risk from online security and technology threats. A PC can become infected with viruses, spyware and other malware. You can visit an insecure website, or be a victim of phishing. Our library computers are protected by a number of security measures and maintained by knowledgeable staff. What about your own computer? Here’s some of the bad stuff to look out for:

Malware

Short for "malicious software," malware is software developed to cause harm. Read “What’s the Difference Between Viruses, Trojans, Worms, and Other Malware?” on lifehacker here.

Insecure Websites

Before sending sensitive information over the Net, make sure the website address you are using in secure. In Internet Explorer, look for a Look for a yellow padlock to the right of the address box, and make sure the web address begins with an “https”. The “s” stands for secure. View CommonCraft’s “Secure Websites in Plain English” here to know what to look for.

Phishing

Phishing is the term used to describe an attempt to trick a user into revealing personal information (like social security/bank account/credit card numbers). Watch another CommonCraft video, “Phishing Scams in Plain English” to see how it works.


How Do I Protect Myself?

While nothing can protect you and your PC from every possible threat, there is a lot you can do to limit your vulnerability: update your software, install anti-virus software, use a firewall, use strong passwords and protect your online reputation.

Update Your Software

Keeping your PC’s software, including the Operating System (e.g. Windows) and browser (e.g. Internet Explorer) updated is vital. As problems, or “bugs”, are discovered, developers release service packs or patches to fix them. If you do not install important security updates, you may leave your system open to attack. Your Windows PC can be set to do this automatically, using Windows Update.

Use a Firewall

A firewall blocks unauthorized access to your PC and its files. Windows includes one, make sure it’s turned on. You can also research alternatives online on sites such as cnet.com and pcmag.com.

Install Anti-virus Software

Install an anti-virus program to detect and remove viruses. See pcmag.com's list of “The Best Antivirus Software in 2011”. Some are even free! Paid versions offer more features.

Use Strong Passwords

Don’t use weak password like “password” or “123456” or “abc123”. (Those are all popular passwords, believe it or not.) Unethical hackers, using special software, could figure those out in less than a second! Try one of those weak passwords -- or better yet, one of your passwords -- here to see how quickly it would be broken.

Create a strong password instead. A strong password does not include: a name, your phone/house/social security number or birth date, a place, or even a word found in any dictionary. A strong password should be: at least eight characters; a mix of upper case, lower case, numbers and special characters. But, you must be able to remember it. For some great tips on a technique to generate strong passwords, view Mozilla’s “How to Choose Strong Passwords” on YouTube here.

Protect your Online Reputation

To learn about the long-term risks of sharing inappropriate information on the Web, view Commoncraft’s “Protecting Reputations Online” here. Share it with any social-networking teens and tweens, too.   UPDATE 4/21:  The New York Times Tech Talk Podcast this week discusses "Managing Your Online Image".  Listen here.  The discusion starts about 8 minutes in, at 26:31.

Meredith Farkas wrote about privacy concerns for American Libraries.  Read her column here.

Thing #20 Activity: Blog About Security & Technology Threats

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Write a blog post about your biggest security and technology threat/concern. What will you do differently from now on?  Be sure to tag your post as “Thing 20”.


Additional Optional Resources:

To read more about passwords, read: “How I’d Hack Your Weak Passwords” by John Pozadzides and “How to Update Your Insecure Passwords and Make Them Easy to Use”. To learn about tools to manage passwords, click here.

To learn about how to keep your PC running at its best, read “Resolved: How to Keep Your Computer Safe, Clean, and Backed Up in 2011”.

For general information online safety, try these helpful sites: OnGuardOnline.gov, GetNetWise, the National Cyber Security Alliance, and Norton’s Family Resource Center.

For more information about PC and network security in libraries, view teschsoup’s webinar: “Security Basics: Keep your Computers Safe”. Its archived here. Click the Recordings link.

UPDATES:

View an "Online Security Education" webinar presented by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as part of YALSA's Teen Tech Week:

Part I
Part II
Part III

Thanks to Marlena Harold, SBA, for the links.

For another take on passwords, read "The Usability of Passwords".  Thanks to Diane Vosatka, CLA, for pointing me to this post.