Internet Tips

While Internet attacks can come in all different forms and levels of sophistication, there are simple and routine things our customers can do to help protect themselves from unwanted and uninvited electronic intrusions.

• Always have current back-ups of files and operating systems.
• Disconnect from the Internet when not in use or turn off computer.
• Do not store important or sensitive data in easily accessible areas of your system or network.
• Uncheck the option for allowing other users to access your files and printers. This is found under Control Panel, Network, File, and Print Sharing.
• Stay up to date with the latest software versions for systems running on your computer/networks, especially the operating system. Hackers know more about the older software than the newer.
• When implementing security features in your system or network, do not have one single point of failure. Try to implement at least two components of security within your system or network.
• Make a point to stay on top of all the latest relevant security advisories.
• Educate yourself or someone within your organization to security practices and strategies.
• Implement security hardware and software in your network or system. This can include firewalls, proxy servers, encryption or Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), and gateways.

The above recommendations are not intended to be all-inclusive, but are provided to heighten your awareness to Internet security issues. Each Internet user should be aware that use of the Internet invites unauthorized access to computers and networks. It is not right and it is a violation of privacy, but it exists and it is reality.

Expanding into high-speed access technologies such as DSL only increases the opportunities for these violations to occur. Please take the time and make the effort to better understand these issues, reduce your exposure to attack, and feel more secure about your Internet experience.

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