Cyber Security Awareness Month

[Corrine]

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. The purpose of Cyber Security Awareness is to call attention
to the importance of protecting the online information of you and your family. As StaySafeOnline describes the goal:

"The goal of National Cyber Security Awareness Month is to educate everyday Internet users on
how to "Protect Yourself Before You Connect Yourself", by taking simple and effective steps."

As part of Cyber Security Awareness Month, I've scheduled a new "tip of the day" at Security Garden each day during October. 
Share your Cyber Security tips and you may find your tip published as the "tip of the day".

[R-C]

Corrine when I click on the stay safe online link in your post, I get a blank page that says coming soon, is that how it should be??

and I will be checking the garden daily for those tips!

[Corrine]

Thanks, R-C.  I fixed the link to SafeOnLive. 

Now, where is your tip? 

[R-C]

Corrine I have been thinking about which of the many topics I see daily that would be good for a tip and just today I had to post this on another forum so I decided it might be a good idea for a tip.  It addresses how spammers get our addys and why we get so much spam which of course leads to getting infected emails also. This is exactly what I posted so take from it if you care to.


When we discuss why do we get so much spam and how are they getting our personal email addys?
One of the worst problems, and a big reason the spammers have our addy, is not using the blind carbon copy feature when forwarding emails. And unfortunately the ones that will do that are your trusted friends and family! I never forward an email that shows others email addresses it is just very very bad behavior and it shows no regard for the people whose addresses are being spread all over the net.
When I have people do that to me I politely ask them not to include my email address in those emails if they can not use the BCC feature. I in turn will not use theirs in that fashion either.
I usually also include a link like these.
Sins of The Internet: Not Using Bcc
BCC for Privacy!
use BCC from now on


some people do not know how to use it in OE this is a good link to send to them
Using Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) in Outlook Express

If you have not been using BCC please do yourself and everyone else a HUGE favor and start using it now. Help stop the spammers from getting our addys. This should also reduce the number of infected emails arriving in your inbox.

[Corrine]

Excellent!  Thank you, R-C.  That is a perfect tip -- post written and scheduled to be published tomorrow.

[R-C]

I am so honored thank you so much for including me! hopefully if we keep hammering these tips out they might sink in a little!

Have you seen the post on miekies blog about the myspace/facebook worm? Here is the link in case not.
MySpace/FaceBook worm causes confusion in HijackThislogs

[Corrine]

Yes, I saw Miekie's post.  I have Miekie's blog in my RSS feed (and follow her on Twitter).  :)

Your tip is just the type of thing I'm looking for -- something helpful for the home computer user, not an IT professional or business. 

[R-C]

I have hers on my netvibes page along with yours.

Yes that is exactly why I thought that would be a good one it is for the average user.  It is unfortunate so many do not even know how to find the BCC options on their email client.

[Corrine]

Sometimes security is basic -- in fact, that is just what a member at FL said about his tip (scheduled for publication tomorrow).  Reading Bill Pytlovany's real-life example proves it.  http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2008/10/how-to-stop-antivirus-2009.html

[R-C]

consumer reports put out a nice list of tips also
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/computers/internet-and-other-services/7-online-blunders/overview/7-online-blunders-ov.htm

[Corrine]

Good one, R-C.  I am sure IO can come up with some additional tips from that link.  I also received another tip from ETR.  But, what is interesting is that I was really expecting folks at LzD to step up to the challenge of providing tips.  It seems that the folks at Freedomlist have dug into the conversation and have been discussing the rogues & killing popups -- a nice learning experience for folks. 

[R-C]

I am sure you saw this, I got it in my email from Microsoft, they are participating this month also. I thought this page on social networking tips was good and timely.
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/phishing/socialnet.mspx

unfortunately so many don't realize the risks involved in social networking.

[Corrine]

Thanks, R-C.  I did see it and it is scheduled as the Tip of the Day for 10/17.  (Tips on IM'ing are scheduled for tomorrow.)

[Dodderer]

One tip for computer nitwits like myself - after uninstalling a program, always use Search to get rid of all the leftovers.

[Corrine]

Thanks, Genglish.  Unfortunately, the last two "tips of the day" have already been written and are scheduled for publication tomorrow and Friday, thus ending this year's "Cyber Security Awareness Month".