Your Responsibilities
As An Online User And Consumer

Contributed by Elaine Landau

So many of us have turned to the Internet for research, shopping, entertainment, you name it. It has become a vital part of our professional and personal lives. So, when a site invites you to type in your name, address, phone number, and other personal information, you barely hesitate. Why? Because those good folks who built that web site made it a secure site, right? Well, maybe there are degrees of secure. A web site could have a firewall or even an antivirus program in place to protect you from spammers, spyware, adware, and the like. But with all the safeguards in place, consumers are still vulnerable to predators. So how can we avoid problems and improve online security? Stop looking at the computer geeks for the answers. Look at yourself.

What do you know about the Internet?
You may have had some basic computer education and basic Internet training, but how much research have you done lately? After one free Internet lesson or a free Internet tutorial, you logged on immediately and it has been a fun ride ever since. You’ve never really given spam much concern. After all, you are used to getting junk mail. It’s annoying, but it comes with the territory, right? E-mail is so fast and convenient. Your message only goes to the person you are sending it to, right? You’ve heard of viruses, but you are just you. You work on a PC. You don’t have any national secrets hidden on your hard drive. You haven’t discovered the cure for anything. You’re not a target, so you can relax, right? Wrong.

No matter how big or small you are in the world of online communication, you are a target for viruses, scammers, spammers, identity thieves, spyware, and adware. It has been estimated by some computer experts that 90% of all computers have been violated and infected with some sort of virus or spamming program. That is an astronomical estimate that should wake you up to an uncomfortable reality. If you are going to play with the big boys, you better know how to defend yourself when the going gets rough.

Be e-mail wise
Do not open an e-mail from a person or entity that you do not know. If the e-mail is from “a friend” or “someone who loves you” don’t open it. You may be opening your system up to nasty viruses.

No matter how official it looks, do not provide personal information for a bank or financial institution that is seeking to verify your personal data online. Reputable banks and financial institutions never use e-mail to verify personal information.

If you are working for a large corporation and have an e-mail address, use that e-mail for business purposes only. Why? Well, in some states, the employer can fire you if you use it for personal messaging. Another great reason for not deviating from business is that even the most innocent gesture could turn into a disaster for the company. Let’s say a friend of yours forwards a very funny joke to your work e-mail. You want your coworkers to enjoy a chuckle, so you forward the joke to them. Although thoughtful, you might have just introduced a virus into the company computer infrastructure, causing real damage.

Internet wise
Visit web sites that interest you, but be very careful with which ones you register or supply with personal information. That site might appear reputable, but it may be spyware. By giving the site all your personal information, the spyware publisher can turn a sweet profit by selling that information to a less-than-reputable entity.

If by using the Internet a lot, you are being slammed with spam or pelted with pop-ups, take the time to clean your machine. Your computer has obviously been compromised. You owe it to yourself and anyone you communicate with online to keep your computer as virus-free as possible

What is a consumer to do?
Just be smart. Don’t be too anxious to supply personal information to anybody or any web site. Use your e-mail wisely and judiciously.

There is no software out there that can replace good old common sense.

About the Author:
Elaine Landau is a freelance writer, publicist, web site editor, and produced television writer with more than 15 years of experience in marketing, advertising, and publicity.

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