2. The Users of the Internet
• There is over 1.7 billion world wide user of the internet
• 1.7 Billion User World Wide
• 57.4 Million Arab Users
• 67.3 Million African users
• 13 million Egyptian Users
3. The Power of Social Media
•Social Network enjoy highest number of users, Facebook users reached 400 Million
4.
5. Online Security Versus Online Safety
Safety: We must act in ways
that help protect us against
the risks that come with
Internet use.
Security: We must secure our
computers with technology in
the same way that we secure
the doors to our homes.
6. Online Reputation
An online reputation is the publicly held social
evaluation of a person based on their behavior;
what they say, and what others say about them.
7. The effect of Online Reputation
o Can Online Reputation affect your employment
potential?
o Can it affect your social life?
Your Online Reputation
can either benefit or harm you,
it is your choice!
8. Online Reputation and professional life
• HR managers research job applicants online
• First impression and Reputation AT work is that AT
your social network pages.
• You represent the company you work in online AT
ALL times!
9. Online Reputation and Social life
What you post on the internet affect you, your
family and your friends.
• Your pictures and actions on the internet is a
memory you will keep forever.
• How you behave online is a reflection on your
values and your family.
• You affect the lives of your friends whenever you
post anything about them on the internet.
10. Self Expression
How you express yourself on line reflects on who
you are, your family, your beliefs and your
country…
Make your statements wisely
15. PROTECT your online reputation
• Read the privacy policy of any site before
sharing personal information online
• Use privacy settings on social networking sites
that determine who can access and respond to
your content
• Use the alert feature provided by some websites
that automatically notifies you of any new
mention of your name or other personal
information
• Respect others privacy!
16. Enjoy private browsing with IE 9 Privacy
Features
• InPrivate Browsing
• InPrivate Filtering
• Enhanced delete
browsing history
• Tab isolation
• Crash recovery
17. Guard Your Reputation
• Express yourself and defend your position but don’t use any abusive
language.
• Do not post anything in anger.
• Do not share personal Data, Personal information can put you at RISK!
• Remember your boss, your parents, and your future kids will see everything
you are posting.
REMEMBER WHAT IS POSTED ON THE INTERNET,
STAYS ON THE INTERNET
18. Primary Threats to our information
Phishing
E-mail sent by online
criminals to trick you Spam
into going to fake Web
sites and revealing Unwanted e-
personal information mail, instant
messages,
and other online
communication
Identity Theft
A crime where con Hoaxes
artists get your E-mail sent by online
personal information criminals to trick you into
and access your cash giving them money
and/or credit
22. Primary Threats to Computer Security
Viruses/Worms
Software programs
designed to invade Trojans
your computer, and Viruses that pretend to be
copy, damage, or helpful programs while
delete your data. destroying your data,
Spyware
damaging your computer, Software that tracks
and stealing your your online activities or
personal information. displays endless ads.
23. #1: Defend your computer.
Turn on Windows Internet firewall
Use Microsoft Update to keep Windows
up-to-date automatically
Install and maintain antivirus software
Install and maintain antispyware software
24. Turn on Windows Internet Firewall
Windows 7 Firewall
help protect your PC
from hackers and
malicious software.
It creates a
protective barrier
between your
computer and
the Internet
25. Use Automatic Updates to Keep
Software Up-to-date
• Install all updates
as soon as they
are available
• Automatic updates provide the
best protection
• Windows 7 Action Center
The new Windows 7 Action
Center in the Control Panel
helps you make sure that your
firewall is on, your antivirus
software is up to date, and
your computer is set to install
updates automatically
26. Install and Maintain Antivirus Software
• Antivirus software
helps to detect and
remove computer
viruses before they
can cause damage.
• For antivirus software
to be effective, you
must keep it up-to-
Don’t let it expire date.
27. Install and Maintain Antispyware
software
Use antispyware software, like Microsoft Windows Defender, so
unknown software cannot track your online activity and potentially
steal your information.
• Windows 7 Defender include:
– Spyware detection and removal
– Improved Internet browsing safety
– Protection against the latest threats
28. Microsoft Security Essentials
Defend your computer against viruses, spyware, and other malware
• Microsoft Security Essentials is a free download for
Windows 7 that helps protect your computer from
viruses, spyware, worms, Trojans, and other malware.
http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/default.aspx
29. #2: Protect sensitive data.
• Think before you enter sensitive data
• Be suspicious of attachments and links
• Look out for scams and fraud
• Create strong passwords
30. Think before you type.
• Look for https (the “s” is for secure)
• A closed padlock means secure, too
• Are there signs the site is trustworthy?
31. Think before you click.
• Be suspicious and aware of:
– E-mail and IM attachments and links
– Messages within social sites
32. The tricks that make you click.
• Alarming messages
• Misspellings and grammatical errors
• Great deals
• Requests for sensitive info
33.
34. How to avoid the bait.
• Confirm that the message is real
• Type the Web address yourself
• Use a browser with safety features
35. Stay safer online with IE8
• Browse with more confidence knowing Internet Explorer 8
helps protect you from evolving online threats right out of the
box.
• According to a recent test by NSS Labs, Internet Explorer 8
catches more than twice as much malware and is tied in
phishing protection when compared to its closest
competition.
36. IE 8 Smart Screen
• The SmartScreen
filter is a set of
technologies
designed to help
protect users from
evolving web and
social engineering
threats.
38. Passwords lock data doors.
• Keep them secret
• Change them often
• Make them strong
39. Which passwords are strong?
1. 555.12.999
2. 06/04/79
3. Exp3d!ti0us
4. Ambl!anc3
5. 135781113
6. MsAw3yOiD
40. And the answers are…
1. 555.12.999
2. 06/04/79
3. Exp3d!ti0us
4. Ambl!anc3
5. 135781113
6. MsAw3yOiD
41. #3 Protect devices on the go.
• Do they have the latest protection?
• Guard devices like you do your wallet
• Don’t hand-carry sensitive data
• Use caution if using a thumb drive in
another computer
42. Windows 7 BitLocker Drive Encryption
• Windows 7BitLocker Drive Encryption help you protect your
data from loss, theft, or hackers
– BitLocker helps keep everything from documents to passwords safer
by encrypting the entire drive that Windows and your data reside on.
– BitLocker To Go—a new feature of Windows 7—gives the lockdown
treatment to easily-misplaced portable storage devices like USB flash
drives and external hard drives.
43. On the go: wireless hotspots.
• Connect securely
• Know who you’re connecting to
• Save sensitive uses for more trusted
connections
44. Sometimes things go wrong.
• How do you know a PC is infected?
– Your computer might run slowly
– Or crash often
– Or show other unusual behavior
45. What to do?
Contact an IT Professional
Contact the responsible authorities:
NTRA hotline : 155
Police Cyber Crime hotline : 108
Editor's Notes
In Egypt we have 2 million users on the face book, our national newspapers combined do not have this number of circulation.
Egypt is the highest user of the internet in Africa according to international statistics.70% of Egyptian do not practice safe and secure usage of the interent.
Do you know what is your Reputation Online?Have you searched yourself on the Internet?Do you know what others are saying about you?
HR managers confirms that during their first screening processes they search applicants on the internet Job applicants could be rejected or placed at a disadvantage based on their online reputation.Managers and Co-workers check out new recruit on the internet and their perception is greatly affected with what information they gather from the internet.Companies necessitates that all the employees representing them maintain a certain level of good reputation in real and virtual world.There are incidents in Egypt where workers were harmed to the point of losing their jobs for their perceived reputation on the internet…
Ask yourselfAm I expressing myself or abusing others?Am I championing or Abusing my cause?How will this be perceived by others
Abusive emails are illegal under The Telecommunications Regulatory Act No. 10 of 2003Example from a local case apprehended by Egyptian police
You have a moral responsibility not to circulate any information you don’t know is accurate. Circulation of inaccurate informtion that can lead to public panic (similar to this one about the kidnapping of kids at large malls) or in facilitating a crime put you at legal risk.
A malicious prank of a guy whose pictures has been modified and posted online as a gay person – Egyptian Police local case
A malicious prank played by a student against his teacher. The student stole personal pictures and posted it on social networks which severely damaged the reputation of the teacher and hurt his career. The student on the other hand faces charges of invasion of privacy, stealing and defamation of character which warrants a jail sentenceEgyptian police local case.
When checking e-mail at an Internet café or shopping for a gift on a family PC, you don't want to leave any trace of specific web browsing activity. InPrivate Browsing in Internet Explorer 8 helps prevent your browsing history, temporary Internet files, form data, cookies, and usernames and passwords from being retained by the browser, leaving no evidence of your browsing or search history.You can start InPrivate Browsing by opening a new tab and selecting Browse with InPrivate or selecting it from the Safety button on the top right corner of the browser window. Once you complete this action, Internet Explorer 8 will launch a new browser session that won't record any information, including searches or webpage visits. To end your InPrivate Browsing session, simply close the browser window.Peace of mind for parents: If parental controls are activated, InPrivate Browsing is disabled. InPrivate FilteringToday websites increasingly pull content in from multiple sources, providing tremendous value to consumer and sites alike. Users are often not aware that some content, images, ads and analytics are being provided from third party websites or that these websites have the ability to potentially track their behavior across multiple websites. InPrivate Filtering provides users an added level of control and choice about the information that third party websites can potentially use to track browsing activity.InPrivate Filtering is off by default and must be enabled on a per-session basis. To use this feature, select InPrivate Filtering from the Safety menu. To access and manage different filtering options for Internet Explorer 8, select InPrivate Filtering Settings from the Safety menu. To end your InPrivate Browsing session, simply close the browser window.Note: Because InPrivate Filtering is designed to watch for and block only third-party content that appears with a high frequency across sites you visit, no content is blocked until such levels are detected, nor is any such content blocked which is served directly by the site you are visiting.Depending on your web browsing activity and sites visited, the amount of time it can take before such content is automatically blocked can vary widely. However, at any time, you can customize which third-party content is blocked or allowed in the InPrivate Filtering Settings option from the Safety menu.Enhanced delete browsing historyNow when deleting browsing history, you can choose to preserve cookies and temporary Internet files for sites in your Favorites folder. This helps to protect your information and privacy while preserving your data on your trusted favorite sites. Your preferences and cookies are preserved, helping you to get to your trusted sites faster with greater confidence.Tab isolationIf a website or add-on causes a tab to crash in Internet Explorer 8, only that tab is affected. The browser itself remains stable and other tabs remain unaffected, thereby minimizing any disruption to your browsing experience.Crash recoveryIf one or more of your tabs unexpectedly closes or crashes, your tabs are automatically reloaded and you are returned to the site you were on before the crash.
Usage of abusive language is against the law and all religions…it demeans the speaker, his family and whatever entity he represents.
Scam email requesting help with bank transfers in exchange for 30% of the amount.Lottery scams
Copy from an e-mail of young female that was stolen and exploited by a criminal – Egyptian police local case.
Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.Microsoft Security Essentials is a free* download from Microsoft that is simple to install, easy to use, and always kept up to date so you can be assured your PC is protected by the latest technology. It’s easy to tell if your PC is secure — when you’re green, you’re good. It’s that simple.Microsoft Security Essentials runs quietly and efficiently in the background so that you are free to use your Windows-based PC the way you want—without interruptions or long computer wait times.It’s easy to tell if your PC is secure — when you’re green, you’re good. It’s that simple.When y are red … y have a problem!Windows Defender detects and removes spywareWindows Defender is software that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software by detecting and removing known spyware from your computer. Windows Defender features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected, minimizes interruptions, and helps you stay productive.The benefits of installing Windows Defender include:Spyware detection and removalWindows Defender quickly and easily finds spyware and other unwanted programs that can slow down your computer, display annoying pop-up ads, change Internet settings, or use your private information without your consent.Windows Defender eliminates detected spyware easily at your direction, and if you inadvertently remove programs that you actually want, it's easy to get them back.Windows Defender allows you to schedule your scanning and removal times when it's convenient for you, whether it's on-demand or on a schedule that you set.Improved Internet browsing safetyWindows Defender helps stop spyware before it infiltrates your computer. Windows Defender also offers a continuous safeguard designed to target all the ways that spyware can infiltrate your computer.Windows Defender works without distracting you. It runs in the background and automatically handles spyware based on preferences that you set. You can use your computer with minimal interruption.Protection against the latest threatsA dedicated team of Microsoft researchers continuously searches the Internet to discover new spyware and develop methods to counteract it.A voluntary, worldwide network of Windows Defender users helps Microsoft determine which suspicious programs to classify as spyware. Participants help discover new threats quickly and notify Microsoft analysts, so that everyone is better protected. Anyone who uses Windows Defender can join this network and help report potential spyware to Microsoft.To help protect your computer from the latest threats, you can choose to have updates that counteract new spyware automatically downloaded to your computer.
2. Defending sensitive data is the most important area we’ll talk about today. There are four basic strategies:Think before entering sensitive data on Web sites.Be suspicious of attachments and links. Know what phishing and scams look like.Create strong passwords.
For starters, before you enter sensitive data on a Web form or page, look for two things:1. Signs that the site uses data encryption: https (“s” is for secure).A closed padlock. It must be here, beside the Web address, or in the lower right corner of the window. 2. Signs of a trusted site, such as the green address bar in Windows® Internet Explorer®. The graphic in the slide shows what each of those things looks like in your browser.That’s the first strategy for protecting sensitive information. Another precaution you can take is to think before you click.
BE SUSPICIOUS OF ATTACHMENTS AND LINKS. There are several reasons to use caution: Senders can be phony. A virus (the colds and flu of computing, designed to spread to other computers) may have sent the mail you just received.Spyware can hide in e-mail attachments. Open one and you may download spyware which can track what you do on your computer. It may enable criminals to collect company or personal information, record account numbers and passwords as you type, or bombard you with pop-up ads.Click links or download videos and photos and you could be downloading a virus along with them. Links can go to phony Web sites.Toll-free numbers can go to fraudulent call centers.Keep in mind: If you click, you catch. MESSAGES ON SOCIAL SITES:Just because the e-mail message says it’s a LinkedIn update, doesn’t mean it is.Messages you get when you’re using a social site such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter can have viruses or be trying to entice you to divulge sensitive information, too. TO REPEAT: “THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK” IS A BEST PRACTICE FOR PROTECTING SENSITIVE DATA, but you also need to be on the lookout for scams and fraud in e-mail and instant messages.
Phishing scams, for example, are a sneaky form of spam designed by criminals to fool us.It can look like a message from a company you trust—supplier or company’s bank, even from within your own company. It may ask you to reveal sensitive data.It can be very convincing.To protect yourself, LEARN THE SIGNS OF PHISHING: Alarmist messages: When we’re alarmed, we sometimes put our suspicions aside.“Your account will be closed if we don’t hear from you.”“A virus has corrupted our database. Please re-confirm your information NOW.”Misspellings and grammatical errors.If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Requests for sensitive info (for example, account numbers or help in “transferring funds.”)It’s important to note that reputable companies DON’T send e-mail that asks for sensitive info.DON’T THINK THAT YOU CAN BE FOOLED? WOULD YOU FALL FOR THIS?A newly-hired COO received e-mail from what looked like his company’s travel agency. He was asked to click the link and make sure his details were accurate.He did and went to an official-looking site where he found his personal data.He was asked to download software that would link his Outlook e-mail account to the travel agency’s booking system. In so doing, he downloaded Trojan horse malware which spread quickly through his new company.THOSE ARE SOME OF THE PHISHING TRICKS. Staying alert to the warning signs is your first defense. But what else can you do if you get a suspicious message?
CONFIRM WITH THE SENDER THAT THE E-MAIL OR INSTANT MESSAGE IS REALCall the company using a number you already have for it.Or check it against what you find on Bing, Google, or an online phone directory.To visit the site, TYPE THE WEB ADDRESS YOURSELF instead of clicking the link in the message.Or, use your own bookmark or favorite.USE A BROWSER WITH SAFETY FEATURESSuch as the anti-phishing feature (SmartScreen® Filter) and the pop-up blocker that’s on by default in Internet Explorer 8.If you’re ever in doubt about a site, consult a Web site that identifies known scams:Such as www.snopes.com.Another way to protect sensitive data is to use strong passwords.
The new SmartScreen filter and other built-in security features help you stay safe by protecting against deceptive and malicious websites which can compromise your data, privacy, and identity.Since we launched IE8 in March 2009, SmartScreen has blocked over 560 million attempts to download malware, recently averaging over 3 million blocks per day! Hosted in datacenters around the world, SmartScreen’s URL Reputation Service (URS) has evaluated over 250 billion URLs to help keep IE8 users safe from malware. Even more impressively, since IE7’s Phishing Filter was introduced in 2005, the URS has processed over 5.7 trillion requests to block malicious web sites. Every day, Microsoft receives around 300 million telemetry reports from IE8 users and processes 4.1 billion URLs looking for malicious websites and files. On the back end, our systems and analysts evaluate over 1 terabyte of binaries every day to help identify sites delivering malware.The Q1 2010 NSS Lab’s test shows that Microsoft’s continued investment in SmartScreen is paying off. Since launch, IE8’s SmartScreen Filter has continued to improve its protection against Socially Engineered Malware threats.
SmartScreenCybercriminals continue to rely on deceptive social engineering attacks to prey on unsuspecting web users. Whether it's via an email that appears to be from your bank, a search result for popular content such as games and movies, an advertisement or a link in an instant message promising free stuff, or a fake notification from a social networking site, there is virtually no trick they haven't tried. We developed the SmartScreen filter for Internet Explorer 8 so you can browse with more confidence – knowing you have a greater chance of being protected when you are targeted by one of these attacks.The SmartScreen filter is a set of technologies designed to help protect users from evolving web and social engineering threats. If the SmartScreen filter detects a malicious website, Internet Explorer 8 will block the entire site. It can also provide a "surgical block" of malware or phishing hosted on legitimate websites – blocking just the malicious content without affecting the rest of the site.Another new feature we have added is protection from malicious downloads – if you attempt a download that has been reported as unsafe, Internet Explorer 8 will block and warn you about that as well. Of course, you'll still have the option to continue with the download if you're certain that it is safe.This download has been blocked by the SmartScreen filterWhile we recommend all users keep the SmartScreen turned on, you can enable or disable it at any time. You can also help improve the web for everyone by reporting suspected malicious sites.Since we launched IE8 in March 2009, SmartScreen has blocked over 560 million attempts to download malware, recently averaging over 3 million blocks per day! Hosted in datacenters around the world, SmartScreen’s URL Reputation Service (URS) has evaluated over 250 billion URLs to help keep IE8 users safe from malware. Even more impressively, since IE7’s Phishing Filter was introduced in 2005, the URS has processed over 5.7 trillion requests to block malicious web sites. Every day, Microsoft receives around 300 million telemetry reports from IE8 users and processes 4.1 billion URLs looking for malicious websites and files. On the back end, our systems and analysts evaluate over 1 terabyte of binaries every day to help identify sites delivering malware.The Q1 2010 NSS Lab’s test shows that Microsoft’s continued investment in SmartScreen is paying off. Since launch, IE8’s SmartScreen Filter has continued to improve its protection against Socially Engineered Malware threats.
Cross Site Scripting (XSS) FilterCross-site scripting attacks try to exploit vulnerabilities in the websites you use. In this attack, you might receive an email that contains a tampered website address. Once you click on the link, you are directed to a legitimate website that has been compromised to contain malicious content that can capture keystrokes and record your login and password. These attacks have emerged as a leading online threat so Internet Explorer 8 includes a cross-site scripting filter that can detect these types of attacks and disable the harmful scripts. Unlike other web browsers, Internet Explorer 8 offers this protection right out of the box, and turned on by default.Click-jacking is an emerging online threat where an attacker's webpage deceives you into clicking on content from another website without you realizing it. For example, it might hide a legitimate webpage as a "frame" inside a malicious page. When you click in the malicious page, you're actually clicking on something else: buying something from the site, changing some settings on your browser or computer, or viewing advertisements that cybercriminals get paid for. It's a complicated attack, but Internet Explorer 8 allows website developers to protect their sites from these kinds of attacks by preventing their legitimate pages from being "framed."Domain HighlightingInternet Explorer 8 is the first browser to provide domain highlighting, so you always know which website you're visiting. Domain Highlighting lets you more easily interpret web addresses (URLs) to help you avoid deceptive and phishing sites that attempt to trick you with misleading addresses. It does this by highlighting the domain name in the address bar in black, with the remainder of the URL string in gray, making for easier identification of the sites true identity.Data Execution Prevention (DEP)Data Execution Prevention (DEP), on by default in Internet Explorer 8 in Windows Vista Service Pack 1, is a security feature that can help prevent damage to your computer from viruses and other security threats by preventing certain types of code from writing to executable memory space
You lock your house, your car, your bike. You also need to lock up corporate assets, client info, accounts, computers, mobile phones, etc. To do this on your computer:KEEP PASSWORDS SECRETIf stolen, everything they protect is at risk. Don’t share them with friends, colleagues, or businesses.Don’t use the same password (or simple variations) for different accounts or services.Don’t store passwords on your phone or in a file on your computer or on a post-it on your computer. It’s okay to store them on a well-hidden sheet of paper.Don’t let someone trick you into revealing them.CHANGE THEM OFTEN: Change the important ones regularly—like the one for your computer or mobile phone.MAKE THEM STRONGAt least eight characters. Upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols.Easy for you to remember and hard for others to guess.Avoid number sequences, your pet’s name, birth date, Social Security numbers, and the like. Don’t use words that you can find in the dictionary.Avoid using only look-alike substitutions of numbers or symbols.Choose a sentence that’s easy to remember and difficult for others to guess and use it as the basis of a password. (See below for an idea about how to present this.)CUSTOMIZING THE PRESENTATION: Ask the group to create a phrase that’s eight words or longer—like the first line of a favorite song. Take the first letter of each word to make the password. Substitute numbers or symbols for some of the letters—like “3” for “E” or “!” for “L.”
CUSTOMIZING THIS PRESENTATIONThis is an opportunity for the audience to test their password knowledge. There are several ways you can handle this:If you have a white board or flip chart, you can do this as a group activity: One password at a time, ask the group to decide whether it’s strong or not and discuss why.If people have paper and pen, ask everyone to do this as a task either by themselves or in pairs.Or simply give everyone a minute or two to think about which of these are strong, and which weak. When you’re ready to see the results, go to the next slide.
EXPLAINING THE ANSWERS:WEAK. Only numbers, possibly a Social Security number, which criminals can easily find online.WEAK. A date—birth or anniversary date, for example—can be known and easily found by a criminal.WEAK. Don’t use words you can find in any dictionary in any language (expeditious). Criminals will not be fooled by common look-alike replacements such as “3” for “e”.STRONG. Letters, symbols, numbers, not a word found in the dictionary.WEAK. Only numbers. Avoid sequences (or repeated numbers, like 22222222).STRONG. A sentence that’s easy to remember, but difficult for others to guess. Eight characters or longer.Take the first letters of this sentence: My son Aiden was 3 years Old in December. Add complexity by mixing upper and lower case letters, symbols, and numbers.Having reviewed many ways you can protect sensitive information, let’s look at the third way to avoid a bad day…
…protecting devices when you’re away from workThese include laptops, thumb drives (USB or flash drives), mobile phones.DO YOUR DEVICES HAVE THE LATEST PROTECTION?Make it part of your travel routine. Update before you leave.GUARD YOUR DEVICES LIKE YOU DO YOUR WALLET.For example, lock your mobile phone when you’re not using it. DON’T HAND-CARRY SENSITIVE DATA.On your laptop or thumb drive.It’s not worth the risk. If you lose it, anyone can access it.If you must take sensitive data, encrypt it. However, encryption only slows access to data; it doesn’t prevent access from a determined hacker after really valuable data.IF YOU USE YOUR THUMB DRIVE IN ANOTHER COMPUTER:That computer may be infected and could corrupt the thumb drive and ultimately your computer.When you re-insert the drive into your computer, click the Close button in any message that pops up so you don’t give any malware a chance to run.But you need to do more than protect the physical devices when you’re on the road…
BitLocker helps keep everything from documents to passwords safer by encrypting the entire drive that Windows and your data reside on. Once BitLocker is turned on, any file you save on that drive is encrypted automatically.BitLocker To Go—a new feature of Windows 7—gives the lockdown treatment to easily-misplaced portable storage devices like USB flash drives and external hard drives.
…Wireless hotspots can be risky, so here are ways to connect to the Web more safely: CONNECT SECURELY. Choose:The most secure connection, even if it means paying for it. Ask about it before you connect.WEP (at least) that encrypts (or scrambles) data as it travels between your laptop and the wireless access point. (WEP stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy. It is a system of data encryption that prevents access to a wireless network.) A password-protected connection, ideally one that is unique for your use.KNOW WHO YOU’RE CONNECTING TOConfirm the exact spelling of the network you’re connecting to. Beware of clever (slightly misspelled) fakes. For example: HLTONHOTELSNET vs. HILTONHOTELSNET. (There’s no “I” in the first Hilton.)Check the privacy statement on the network's Web site. No privacy statement? Wait until you return to the office to conduct sensitive business.SAVE SENSITIVE USES FOR MORE TRUSTED CONNECTIONSDon’t bank or make other financial transactions at a wireless hotspot.Don’t download, install, or update software.Use e-mail with the understanding that it can open the door to illegal access to corporate networks and data.Turn off the wireless connection when you’re not using it.
INFECTED PCDespite all our best efforts, sometimes a virus or spyware can slip through. How would you know?Your computer exhibits unusual behavior: slows to a crawl, crashes often. Programs don’t save files properly. And so on.
