Let's forget about the school environment for a bit and think about your digital life outside of school. Strong possibility there's a computer at home, or maybe two. Could be a tablet as well. And for most readers, there's a good chance you own a smartphone too. All of these devices can contain sensitive, important information. Contacts, data, documents, etc. are generally important to users and not meant for public dissemination. Your devices should be secure.
Generally, people think about the security of their computers and other mobile devices only when there is a reminder that bad things can happen. Maybe a friend's computer was hacked. Maybe yours was infected with a virus. Maybe you lost your phone and worry about who will access the data. Or maybe, in a coffee shop, you look around and wonder if someone can use the public wireless network to somehow access your hard drive.
Why not think about digital security now, when there is no emergency? Here's a short list of steps you can take to practice safe, secure computing. This list is by no means complete. It's meant to be a place to start. But every suggestion is easy, free (or relatively inexpensive) and important.
Let's start with the creation of a log-in password. All your devices should require a password to access the operating system. Some people don't want a password on their home desktop thinking "It's only me using this computer." True....until a burglar enters. Creating a simple 4-character password will not slow you down but will slow down unwanted intruders. (A more complicated password that has at least 8 characters and mixes letters, numbers and symbols is ideal, but may slow you down a bit.)
Mobile devices can utilize an antitheft locator tool. iPhones, for instance, have a "Find my iPhone" tool. Similar tools exist for android phones and tablets. These sorts of software tools, utilizing GPS, can be very helpful to locate lost or stolen hardware.
Run security checks on your PC. You may have third-party software designed for this purpose, or you can use Microsoft's software that is part of the operating system. In Windows 7, for instance, find the System and Security section. In the Action Center, check the security prompt. It's also a good idea to review the information in the Windows Firewall and Windows Update sections. Working with a Mac? In Systems Preferences, check the Security & Privacy section and be sure your Software Update is checked as well.
Even modest digital consumers begin to acquire an unwieldy list of user names and passwords. It is important to vary passwords. Additionally, passwords to access important data such as banks, credit cards, etc. should be complex. But invariably, users realize it's virtually impossible to remember needed user names and passwords. How can this problem be solved? There's no single solution, but one is to create a document of user names and passwords. A spreadsheet would work well. Then, it can uploaded to cloud storage; www.dropbox.com will work nicely. Dropbox is free up to 5 gigs of storage and is accessible with Internet access. It is password protected. A second layer of security can be implemented by password-protecting the document with a different password. Even if an intruder got into your Dropbox account, a second password would still be needed to open the document. Though not perfect, it's far better than writing passwords down and putting them on a post-it under your keyboard.
One last tip: check your antivirus software. Make sure it is relatively recent and comprehensive. I mention "recent" because newer software products have special features designed specifically to protect you while using social networks. A few top security software suites include F-Secure Internet Security 2013, Norton Internet Security (2013) and Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2013. Prices vary, but generally figure about $50 a year. $1.00 a week for peace of mind is probably worth it to most users.
Paying attention to basic security can help to insure a better digital experience.
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