StopSign®

Why do I need Internet security software?

In a world where nearly 25% of the world’s population actively uses the Internet (including over 74% of North America), it shouldn’t even be a question that you need to protect yourself from online predators with a suite of Internet security software. In order to illustrate why, we’ve come up with a few examples. This article touches on a few key areas that can be easily remedied with software so that you don’t even have to think about what you need to do to stay safe: you’re just protected.

Viruses, spyware, and hackers, oh my!

Facts are facts: there are a lot of bad people out there who like to write computer viruses, worms, rootkits, and all manner of malware. Computer viruses have plagued users and administrators since as early as 1971, and there’s no sign of a slow down.

Antispyware and antivirus software are key components to keeping unwanted spyware and problem-causing viruses off of your computer and/or network. Using automated threat scanning, antispyware and antivirus software seek and destroy anything that isn’t welcome, which leaves you free to run your computer worry-free.

Don’t you want to keep your private data private?

According to the Social Security Administration, identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America, making it a very real, very serious problem. Many of the methods used to steal personal information are offline, but since spyware tracks your computer usage and can even be written to send data back “home” to the person or group who created the spyware in the first place, making a leap to the digital world isn’t that difficult for crooks.

In the current world economy hackers and crackers around the globe are feeling a pinch in their pocketbooks just like everybody else, so they are devising crafty new ways to separate you from your private, personal information and your hard-earned money. If you do your taxes on your computer, keep a file with passwords stored on it, or have anything else that may contain sensitive information, it is completely possible that a spyware application can find or sniff out that information and relay it to the hacker.

But what if I’ve never had a virus (or spyware, etc.) before?

Unfortunately the reality is that even if you’ve never had to deal with malware in the past, the longer you use your computer and the Internet it’s only a matter of time before you become infected with a virus or some spyware if you are running your computer without some kind of protection. Why take chances when there’s a simple, safe, and inexpensive solution?

It’s better to be safe than sorry, so we recommend that you install, use, and keep updated, an internet security software package like our own (cue the shameless plug) StopSign Internet Security software.

Windows 7, Microsoft’s newest operating system, is set for release on October 22nd, 2009, and we are proud to announce that StopSign® Internet Security is now compatible with Windows 7. (With a month to spare!) Our software development teams have been working overtime to ensure that our loyal customers who upgrade, or buy a new PC with Windows 7, can rest assured that they will be able to use StopSign immediately.

For all the good that the internet brings to us, it can also be a dangerous place if you’re not careful. Identity theft, burglars reading blogs, and many other issues can catch you in their web if you’re not careful. Because of this we have a few suggestions to help keep you and your family safe both off- and online.

Keep Personal Information Private

It’s easy to reveal too much information on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. These sites usually have online forms where you can input your email, phone number, and even home address. Keeping spam out of your inbox is one thing, but with today’s sophisticated criminals and increased use of the internet by organized crime, you have to be careful with your home and family information.

Remember that anywhere you publish your home address might provide an opportunity for a burglar looking to case a neighborhood to find his or her next victim. Just as you wouldn’t put your Social Security number anywhere for the general public to see, keep as much personal information under wraps as possible: home address, work address, home phone number, etc.

Watch Those Pictures and Videos

Sharing pictures and videos with family and friends is great, especially with the ease of use that most gizmos and gadgets have today; but be careful not to let anything personally identifiable leak out accidentally. Pictures of your home are fine, but make sure that nothing that can identify you or your family is visible. For example, anything like a street sign near your home or the name of the school that your kids attend can be dangerous to post since they can be used to track you down in real life. The same goes for your cars. Even news and entertainment shows blur out license plates for the sake of privacy and security. If your pictures have any elements like that, it’s a good idea to cut- or blur-out those things.

Don’t worry though, because you’re not going to have to spend a lot of cash to buy a photo editing software package like Photoshop (a wonderful, albeit expensive, piece of software). If you don’t have photo-editing software, you can find plenty of free online tools that let you blur, clip, or pixelate pictures without emptying your wallet. A few good ones are Pixlr and Picnik.

Don’t Reveal Too Much

Be sure not to give away too many details about your daily activities. Most people have a general pattern they follow day-to-day as they go to school or work, and criminals can use that information to their advantage. If you post info online about going on vacation, a ball game, or even the grocery store, then those who might use that information against you could be given a perfect opportunity to slide in when you step out. Instead, try posting your activities after the fact, with the added benefit of being able to show pictures of the fun you had (keeping in mind the photo safety tips above).

One Last Thing…

Don’t get us wrong.. it’s not like posting a picture online is going to immediately ruin your life. Well, not any family-friendly photos, at least. Some of the examples given may seem extreme, but they happen, and you need to be aware of them. But like with most things in life, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Exercising a little extra caution before clicking that “submit” button can help curb any potential hazards and keep you and your information safe.

There’s a lot to worry about online, and as an internet security software company we hope that you use our StopSign products to help keep you safe. But even if you don’t use our software, there are a few things you can easily do to ensure that you are less likely to be the victim of phishing, malware, or internet fraud.

1. Secure? For sure! – “https”.

   When a web page requests personal information, like your Social Security number, when you’re making an online purchase, or if you need to access your bank account online, make sure that you look in the address bar of your browser to make sure you are on a secure server.

   It’s easy to see if the site you’re on is secure by seeing if the URL starts with “https”. Non-secure websites use “http”, so just look for that additional “s”. No real company who is concerned for your security will ever ask you for any sensitive, banking, or credit card-related information without a secure server in place. Anything else is a scam, pure and simple.

2. Watch where you’re browsing.

   A lot of phishing attempts are done by using similarly-named domains or by tricks with the URL. The domain name of the website you are trying to view should always be before the “.com” (or “.net”, or whatever top level domain they use).

   For example, our blog is supposed to be on stopsign.com. If you saw blog.stopsign.example.com, that is not the official StopSign blog, because our domain name (stopsign) isn’t before the “.com”. See our blog post “How to Spot a Fake Website” for more information on fake websites.

3. Use a secure password.

   Making a secure password is a simple solution to staving off the casual hacker who wants to try to break into one of your online accounts. Often one of the first things they do is use a “dictionary” of common passwords and/or common words to try to access accounts. See our blog post “12 Tips for Making a Good Password” for additional details and tips on secure password creation.

4. Don’t open that email attachment.

   Like most people you probably get dozens of emails per day. It’s not uncommon to get attachments to your email with pictures from friends and family, but make sure that you never open an email attachment from an unknown person. Lots of viruses and spyware are spread online by email, and if you open one of them you’ll be instantly infected.

5. If it’s too good to be true.

   Beware the scam artists online who prey on the kind-hearted and the uninformed. The Nigerian scams (and their many variants), “donation” seekers who want your bank account information, and other pests flood the internet daily. If something you’re being told seems too good to be true, it is, and if an email or website is asking you for private information it’s more than likely a scam or some other type of internet fraud. Unless of course it really is from your bank or the government, but it would still be on a secure server (when in doubt, give them a call and ask if they actually sent the email), and you should also be sure to watch where you’re browsing!

So there you go… 5 simple things that you can easily do to make sure that your browsing experience is safe and worry-free.

Banking websites, email accounts, instant message software and social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace all have one thing in common: passwords. Not having a good password makes it easier for hackers to break into your online accounts. Don’t feel bad though, because even businesses like Twitter.com aren’t above using a bad password.

Creating and using a good password is very important, but it’s only one layer of internet security and it’s certain not foolproof. Given enough time and computing power virtually any password can be broken. What we’re presenting is a list of several rules (suggestions, really) for creating a safe and secure a password without it being a big hassle.

First off is the don’t list. It’s one of those “including, but not limited to” things, so be sure to use your own judgment along with our suggestions. While no password is 100% secure, the more you can do to make it difficult to brute force, the better.

1. Don’t use a single common word or phrase such as “password”, “qwerty” or “apple”. Anything found in a dictionary or is common knowledge is a bad idea. Also steer clear of abbreviations, movie names, book titles, etc. Use multiple words if at all possible.
2. Don’t use a proper noun. Steer clear of using your name, the name of your kids or spouse, a state capital, etc.
3. Don’t write it down. While you can argue that you have a secret/safe place that no one will ever find (under your keyboard, in your wallet, under a filing cabinet drawer, etc.) trust us… it’s not secret and it’s not safe. Keep that password in your head, not in your hand.
4. Don’t use your password on a public computer. As tempting as it is to check your Gmail account at the library, you have no idea if anyone has installed a key logger or other password sniffing software. It’s safer to wait until you get home.
5. Don’t give your password to anyone. Anyone. No site or service worth its salt will ever ask you for your password. Any attempt by a CSR, website, or even an email asking for your password is a scam, period.
6. Don’t reuse a password. If you somehow have a password compromised (whether you know it or not), reusing a previously good password has now opened you up to trouble.

Next up is the do list. These tips are here to help you create not only a good password, but also to to make it difficult for someone else to crack it. Not easily, at least. :)

7. Do make it memorable, but not easily guessed. Using a mnemonic, or memory aid, is a great way to remember passwords.
8. Do use at least 6 characters. Use 8 or more if you can swing it.
9. Do use more than one password. Each site or account, or at the very least the important ones (banks, etc.) should have it’s own, unique password.
10. Do avoid sequences of letters or numbers. “1223334444″ is an example of a very bad password.
11. Do change your password. Every 3-6 months should be fine for personal accounts.
12. Do feel free to be creative with spelling. There’s no reason you can’t do things like substitute an “i” with a “y” every now and again, use upper- and lower-case letters, and even use numbers, punctuation, or special characters if possible.

Sounds like a lot to have to think about, right? Actually it’s not as bad as it sounds; making a good password is more about common sense than anything else.

In closing, here are some samples of a good 8-character password. While the samples below are great for educational purposes, please don’t use them for your real password because that would go against the tip that you don’t reuse a password.

• phU+$sHu: This is a combination of “foot” and “shoe”. Notice how the “f” is replaced with a “ph”, the “oo” with a “U” and so on.
• Tyg3rtLE: This is a combination of “tiger” and “tail”. The “i” in tiger is changed to a “y”, “tail” was replaced with an alternate spelling (“tale”) and a vowel is removed to keep the password at 8 characters.
• 2ND-d0*R: This is a combination of “second” and “door”. Similar character substitutions as the first 2 examples abound in this one, too.

Update: 12/27/2009 Mashable has a new article on banned Twitter passwords.