Top Tips To Keep You Safe From Phishing

The use of the Internet to steal people s personal details is called phishing (pronounced fishing ). Phishing is on the increase and the techniques and technology used is becoming increasingly sophisticated. However by following these simple rules you can greatly reduce the chance of falling victim to phishing. Never reveal your passwords. Not even to family or close friends. Of course you trust your family and friends but once revealed you can never be sure that they will not unwittingly reveal your password to someone else. There may be occasions, due to sickness or accident for example, when you have to allow family or close friends to access some on-line accounts. Following such occasions you should change your passwords as soon as practically possible. Use secure passwords. Never use a password such as your middle name, your pet s name, your birthday etc. These may be easy to guess. Nor should you use any word that exists in the dictionary. A good password uses a combination of letters and numbers and symbols. It s possible to create such passwords in an easy to remember format. For example, the password A$4A10c looks quite random but may be remembered as A dollar for a dime . Use good security software (anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, firewall) and don t forget to keep it updated. Use the most current versions of Internet browsers. Most of the current versions contain their own anti-phishing filters and blacklists to help keep you safe. A recent trial by a popular consumer magazine in the UK (you may know WHICH one) recommended Firefox as their browser of choice. Never click a link in an email. This is a classic phishing trick. They name the link to their phishing website with a real one so the link looks like one for your bank or credit card company. Instead of clicking open your Internet browser and type in the website address shown in the email. Regularly check your on-line accounts. Log on to your account and investigate any action that you don t recognise. It may just be that the details of a retailer transaction are not easily recognisable so investigate before you take action. Tim Maguire holds a Masters degree in Computer Science and is a full-time computer consultant. For further help in PC security you should visit his website keepyourpcsafe.co.uk