Data Security when Browsing the Internet

Browsing Internet is a very common activity these days, but certain websites may be harmful. Websites may contain content not appropriate for children, or offensive to certain groups of people. Some web pages may contain viruses, trojan horses, spyware or other malicious code that can infect your computer and be spread to others. Other websites are designed to steal personal information from you, such as bank login information.

Preventive measures do exist. First of all, setup your computer properly. Be careful when using a public or shared computer to browse the Internet. Nowadays you may also have a portable device to surf the Internet. Ensure you have the latest OS updates and patches installed.

A firewall must be installed and enabled to protect your from external attacks.

Anti-virus and anti-malicious software should be installed with the latest updates applied. Find out how to protect yourself from other attacks such as from spyware and adware, rootkit, Trojan horse, botnet, worm, virus hoax and other malware.

Fraud is sometimes hard to identify, so you need to know how to recognise Internet fraud when you see it.

Webmail is also commonly used now. Learn how to use webmail wisely.

Do not visit illegal websites.