Preventing internet-crime on your computers and smartphones

trueBy Robert Kikonyogo

Use secure passwords. Often, the beginning of the end is a weak password. Make sure your passwords are foolproof and use a different password for each account that you have.

A secure password should have uppercase, lowercase and numbers included and also beware of Pop-Ups. Never enter your personal information into a pop up window.

Many pop ups are scams or viruses. Do not allow yourself to be lured by promises for great deals or give-aways. Keep your browser’s pop-up blocker turned on, and exit any rogue pop-up windows you encounter.

Do continuous data protection by backing up for your computer data. In case of a cyber-crime emergency, such as a stolen laptop or hijacked desktop, for example, Google Drive (Gdrive) allows you to remotely erase your data from your device, denying hackers access to your information. Your data is then available from the cloud, so you can start over with a secure device.

Google Drive also includes locating feature to recover your stolen machine.

Stay out of bad neighborhoods visiting, i.e. hacker sites, pirating content, viewing sites that are known scams, and visiting adult websites are some things that may put you at risk of cyber-attacks. Often, these sites are hot with scams and viruses; you can remotely supervise and track all internet browsing activity for all your smartphones.

Very useful for monitoring young users or employees using provided smartphones. GDrive’s Smartphone Supervisor can also remotely track SMS text and your phone’s location.

Stay informed. Use sources like the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center or Scam Book to keep up-to-date on scams, viruses, and cyber-crime schemes as they are discovered. Education along with the implementation of GDrive’s continuous data protection solutions is the best way to keep yourself and your sensitive data safe and secure.

Be careful with this message. Similar messages were used to steal people's personal information. Unless you trust the sender, don't click links or reply with personal information.

For example, you have been awarded a grant sum of £300,000.00 GBP (three hundred thousand pounds) from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) You are to forward this email to Mr. Richard Parnell in the United Nations for claims procedure.

The writer is a website assistant, Kyambogo University