by Erik Van Tongerloo

Created on: February 01, 2007   Last Updated: April 19, 2011

It is necessary to protect your emails and all important data you have stored on your computer from prying eyes. We live in a world where nobody is safe anymore against hackers who try to find important information which they can use for wrong reasons.

Email is a service which is used for communicating but it is not really safe if you don't take the necessary preventions. You may experience several problems when your email travels through the Internet. Nowadays, everyone who has access to Internet has to deal with problems of spam, spyware and viruses.

Some useful tips for every computer user are:

• Passwords

1) Passwords are important for protecting your files and when you are registered in sites where a password is required. Hackers will try to detect your password for finding important information, especially in sites where you can earn money because they will try to rob your account. When you are registered in sites where you can do online shopping they will try to make purchases with your money.

2) Protection of your password is necessary and it is important you choose one which is not easy to guess. Don't use an obvious one like your first name, the location where you live but instead consider making a combination of letters and numbers! It is better to use BATMAN7153 than just BATMAN. It is recommended to use a word or name which is not so popular, for example CHINOUK7153.
However, numbers are recommended to use in your password; don't use the number of your credit card in your password. When hackers find your password they will try to use your number for payments online.

3) Change your password regularly and use different passwords for every site or service. Suppose you are member in a forum and you use a certain password and you are also a member of Paypal; the owner of this forum can easily try to log in your Paypal account and use the same password. When you are not alert for these kinds of problems your account can be robbed within a short time. Another possibility is that a hacker detects your password in a forum and can try to use it in every site where he/she knows you are member. The greatest danger is in paid sites and the password of your email account. Changing your password regularly will limit the risk someone will detect your password.

4) Don't store a file with passwords of important sites on the hard disk of your computer! You can compare it with hiding your keys of your door on a place everyone can find.

• Encrypting

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>