Clear Your Tracks

If you are the single and sole user of your particular computer, then read no further. It is unlikely that you
will need to take extreme caution while physically using your own PC. If you use a computer at a library, school, office or other location where multiple users can access the system, you do need to take precautions to make sure your password, personal information and surfing history are not at the hands of the next user. Since computers in libraries and similar locations may have hundreds of different users each day, you should take measures to protect yourself against another’s curiosity or attempts to harvest your information.

One of the simplest ways to protect yourself on multi-user workstations is to log out. Log out of your email account or any other account that requires a password. Always log out of bank accounts and anything that you would consider personal and valuable information. A good rule of thumb is just to make it a solid practice to log out each and every time you are finished using the computer. This is the easiest way to keep would-be hackers at bay. If your email program has the optional check box that says, “remember me”, you should not check the box. When you do choose this option, the program installs a cookie that remembers your username and password. This makes it very easy for other users to see your private information.

You should be careful to never leave your computer unattended if you have not logged out. Even if you only plan to be away from the computer for a couple of minutes, that is enough time for someone else to gain access to your information. Many computer programs and websites will now automatically log you out of the system if you are away for an extended time but you should try to make a habit of logging out when you step away from the keyboard.

Since many public computers allow users to install software or programs onto them, you should understand that you run a higher risk of encounter viruses and spy ware. If you have any concerns, you could check the computer’s start menu to look for any installed version of an anti-virus program. If you are unable to locate an anti-virus software program, you should consider asking the computer lab’s administrator what kind of measures they take to protect users’ private and personal information.

You can also clear your browser’s cache by choosing from the toolbar: “tools”, “Internet options”, “clear history”, “delete cookies”, and “delete files”. These steps will usually clear your Internet trail so no one will know what sites you have been visiting. In addition to covering up your tracks, taking these precautions will keep would-be hackers from having easy access to your files and other personal information.

Internet and database safety should be of concern to anyone who uses a computer that is accessed by more than one person. If you are working with sensitive information such as financial records, health care information or similar, you should never leave your station without logging out of your database. It should be obvious to most people that leaving yourself logged into your accounts is an open invitation for someone to take a peak at your screen. In many cases, someone who accesses your accounts may have no sinister intentions; he or she may have just stumbled upon an open account and be curious as to what your emails say, for instance. But, you cannot neglect to take care to log out of personal information in hopes that the next person will be honest; they could very well decide to steal your identity for criminal activity.

The Internet has given us so many new opportunities to learn and explore. It is easier than ever to stay in touch with each other and research any kind of information that we desire. Computers are located at so many locations, such as computer labs, libraries, cyber cafes and airports. The thousands of people who primarily access the Internet through multi-user systems, it is important that they understand the risks of sharing the terminal. It is very easy to keep yourself safe on these computers; just use common sense and keep yourself logged out and take the simple steps to protect your identity.

Source: www.securitytutorial.com