Internet Privacy Protection Guide

If you are looking for an internet privacy protection guide you have found it. Protecting your privacy involves securing your computer and internet connection at every entry point. Your first goal should be to find a suitable firewall and antivirus. I recommend the ZoneAlarm personal firewall, and if you can get your hands on the Kaspersky anti-virus you will be very secure! Your will need to set these programs up according to your user habits, but always try and have them set to the most secure settings for the best protection.

Beyond these standard protection programs you will need to be aware and conscious of new threats and privacy issues. For example; 5 years ago you probably wouldn't have needed an anti-spyware program, but you would be lost without one nowadays. Threats and security breaches are constantly evolving to bypass the security measures we currently have, and the only way to beat it is to stay ahead of the game. Protect yourself with the knowledge and the tools to secure your connection, knowing how the whole process works is a tremendous skill to have and allows you to better understand the entire system that much better. Your computer is hooked up to millions of other computers, each of which can send and receive data between each another. If a malicious program or person was to try and breach that secure connection of data being sent and received, they could have easy access into your computer or network. Hackers try and find these “open” ports between the network and computer and either redirect or break in. Once they have access inside of these ports they are only a few small steps to breaching your computer system and potentially damaging your computer. If they are able to spot a spot to breach your computer, they will be able to run malicious scripts and have total domain to access and read your private data. How do you plug these “open” ports and prevent malicious attacks against your computer? These ports are closed using a firewall program, and most new versions of Windows come with one built in. Other than simply breaking their way in, hackers have invented several ways to get onto your computer and most of them involve trickery and deceit.

Users could receive an email or instant message from a reputable company or at least what they believe is a reputable company and in turn they may be infected with malicious scripts. This process Is called phishing and has increased in growth by 500% since 2001. This technique is mainly designed to trick, mislead or misrepresent one's self in order to obtain private information. For example; if you were chatting on your favorite Instant Messenger you could receive a message from an anonymous user who presents themselves as being from the company that owns the messenger program. These users could ask for private financial information for their own use, and could pose a severe risk to your online privacy. Being smart and following this internet privacy protection guide will allow you to overcome these online threats.

Would you sell your privacy for financial gain? (QD-1)

Question of The Day (QD-1) How much do you really value your privacy? Seeing the lady hawking her story on television regarding her eight new babies, it made me wonder. I guess she needs every penny she can get to look after them, but is such intrusion advisable?

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg 'hacked into emails of rivals and journalists' - Daily Mail

Globe and Mail

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg 'hacked into emails of rivals and journalists' Daily Mail The CEO of the world's most successful social networking website was accused of at least two breaches of privacy in a series of articles run by ... Facebook in No Hurry to 'Friend' an IPOTMCnet The Heady Days of Facebook's Formation: Hacking Competitors and Smack-Talk Over IMFast Company all 160 news articles »

Drudge Report accused of serving malware, again - CNET

Drudge Report accused of serving malware, again CNET Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing ... and more »

The National Enquirer Earns Some Respect - New York Times

The National Enquirer Earns Some Respect New York Times Since Enquirer reporters cannot pay off medical officials — they might be violating health care privacy laws — they asked contacts for information about her ... and more »

Location-Based Mobile Phone Privacy Policy 'Obsolete' - TMCnet

Location-Based Mobile Phone Privacy Policy 'Obsolete' TMCnet Erin also oversees production of TMCnet's weekly iPhone (News - Alert) e-Newsletter. To read more of Erin's articles, please visit her columnist page.