As you’ve seen, there are many dangers on the Internet, and you need to be vigilant to stay out of harm’s way. The first line of defense is educating yourself, and after reading this guide you should know enough to be able to avoid most threats. Unfortunately, scams, viruses and data thieves will probably never go away, and the best we can do is learn to deal with it. Second to education, the most effective way to stay safe is using your common sense and always thinking twice before clicking that link, submitting that form or installing that program you’ve downloaded. It’s been said numerous times already in this guide, but it’s worth repeating that “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is”. Finally, it’s important to realize that not everyone or everything online is out to get you, and being too paranoid isn’t good either. As long as you use common sense, and follow the best practices (using a virus scanner, keeping your system up to date, and so on), you’ll most likely be quite safe. Get the full e-book here: http://enquirerdaily.com/web-warning-by-markphillips/

1. WEB WARNING
Web Security
Basics

2. Keeping Your Computer Safe
• The term for software with malicious intent is malware
• The purpose of malware can be anything from simply
spreading to as many systems as possible as a proof of
concept, to stealing sensitive user data like credit card
details

3. Keeping Your Computer Safe
• Keeping your system up-to-date, enabling a firewall and
regularly scanning your system for threats is the best
way to keep malware out
• Be on guard and always think twice before acting on
something that seems suspicious or "too good to be
true"

4. Keeping Your Computer Safe
• Good password security is the best defense against
hackers accessing your user accounts (and it can be
easier accomplished through third party software)

5. Keeping Your Website Safe
• Encryption is the first step in web security, both for user
interaction and when performing administrative tasks
• Keep the software you use up-to-date at all times, and
remove any software/scripts you don't use to minimize
risk

6. Keeping Your Website Safe
• Be suspicious of user data, and always validate and filter
it on the server side before processing and using it
• Use vague error messages with little or no details to
make information gathering harder for malicious users
• Backup your files and databases regularly, and keep the
backups for a long time in case you need to roll back
after an intrusion

7. Keeping Your Personal Info Safe
• Always think twice, and double-check domain name and
encryption before submitting sensitive data online
• Read privacy policies, even if it takes a few minutes of
your time (and they're extremely boring!)
• Consider restricting access to your social media profiles,
and think twice before posting personal information

8. Keeping Your Personal Info Safe
• Be suspicious if you receive a strange message from a
friend - their account might have been hacked and now
the hacker is trying to scam you
• Make sure you don't leave your sensitive data readable
on your computers, phones and other devices when
sending them off to recycling

9. Top 5 Online Common Scams To Watch
Out For
• Top 5 Common Scams: Paypal/Online Bank phishing,
work-from-home scams, 419 Scams (“Nigerian Letters”),
Fake lotteries, Classified/auction scams.
• Don't blindly trust emails that offer you money, or try to
scare you into logging in on the website of a financial
institution

10. Top 5 Online Common Scams To Watch
Out For
• Legit "work-from-home" opportunities exist, but be on
guard if they claim to require little skills and actual
work, or if you need to invest money up-front
• Be very careful and educate yourself properly when
buying/selling things on auction or classified sites