Internet Security News
Why You Should Stay Up-To-Date
If you will recall from our article on whether it is safe to shop online, we noted that overly dramatic news headlines about internet crime are unnecessarily scaring away our older population from learning how to use a computer and going online. Yet, many services they need, especially the free ones, require them to access the internet.
To alleviate the concerns on internet crime, we explained there are simple precautions you can take online to protect yourself from cyber criminals, just like you would lock the doors to protect your home from burglars. Our hope is that you can communicate to those who are afraid to take advantage of what the internet has to offer that the internet is not such a scary place when they take these simple precautions.
One of those simple precautions is making sure you maintain updated computer software. Your computer is filled with dozens of computer software programs, many of which are set to update automatically each day you access the internet. However, there are times when manual involvement is needed to upgrade certain programs.
The Best Source for Internet Security News
The best way to stay up-to-date on what software needs to be upgraded is to read the Security Fix news column. It is written by Brian Krebs for the Washington Post.
Brian keeps readers informed on the latest internet security news. You will often read that software for one program interferes with software of another program. This creates an opening for cyber criminals to exploit. Fortunately, there are many friendly computer users who try to identify these problems before the criminals find them. Usually, the software makers will quickly fix the problem with a solution that will be included in the next software update. (This is why it is very important to maintain updated software.)
What to Expect with the Security Fix articles
The Security Fix articles alert computer users to these problems and provide links to the new software updates. Brian does a great job describing the issue and explaining how to ensure you have properly updated your computer software.
Sometimes, there is a delay with the software maker creating a security fix. In these cases, Brian explains what precautions you can take to protect yourself while waiting for a software update.
In addition to software updates, Brian also alerts users to other online schemes, especially the latest emails, which try to trick users into sharing confidential information. By staying informed on the latest internet security news and taking simple precautions, you can rest easy when surfing the internet.
The alerts are set-up in a blog format so the easiest way to stay up-to-date on the latest Security Fix article is to use a RSS Feed Reader. If you are still not inclined to use a feed reader despite its ease of use, we highly recommend you bookmark the Security Fix web page as a favorite web site and visit it frequently.
Learn More about Internet Security
The best way to overcome any fear is to become more informed and minimize any potential risks. We have prepared additional lessons to help you become more comfortable using the internet while minimizing the risks. You can always come back to the lessons by using our 'Quick Access for Beginners' drop-down list in the right column of each page. The drop-down list provides a link to all of the Beginners Lessons. Javascript required.:
- Shopping Online - Is it Safe to Shop Online?
- Internet Security - What software do I need to maintain to protect myself?
- Privacy Policy - Why do you see this on almost every web site?
- Web Cookies - Why do web sites place them in my computer's memory?
- Operating Systems - What operating system am I using?
- Current Lesson: Internet Security News - How do I stay up-to-date?
- Secure Passwords - How do I create good, but easy-to-remember, passwords?
You may also want to check out our Internet Help for Beginners tutorial or our lessons for Experienced Users to improve your internet experience.
Good Luck
Our goal is to make you comfortable using the ever expanding internet. We especially want to reach out to online beginners and let them know it is not too late to get started. Think of a family member or friend who may find this web site helpful and forward it to them today. We wish you Good Luck and an Enjoyable Journey on the Internet.
ShopWithTrust.com also provides easy access to trusted retailers. We keep things simple for you by only listing stores with a long history of name recognition. We would like to be your one stop source for online shopping with stores like Macy's, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy. Thank You and Best Wishes.
