| It's become really common for people to use | | | | This means that if you're not using your home |
| computers remotely - away from their homes. | | | | computer or a secured computer, you should |
| You might log onto the Internet in a library, at an | | | | avoid making any purchases online with a credit |
| airport, in hotels or at any of the many other | | | | card and avoid logging into your online banking and |
| spots where you can get wireless Internet | | | | credit card accounts. |
| access. Unfortunately using a public Internet | | | | Before you visit a site that requires you to input |
| connection can be a pretty dangerous thing to do | | | | a password, member number, or ID, disable the |
| - they're not always very secure. | | | | 'auto complete' feature that will put in your |
| To protect personal information when you're on | | | | password for you or complete your user id for |
| the go, follow these few tips: | | | | you. |
| Most e-mail software will let you forward your | | | | If it's practical, stay away from sites you don't |
| e-mail from one account to another; it's similar to | | | | normally visit while you're away from your home |
| how you might forward your phone calls. Take | | | | computer. Because most online hackers come |
| advantage of this feature to enhance your | | | | from auto downloads of viruses and spyware, |
| security when you're on the go by not logging | | | | few of the sites that you regularly visit when |
| into your main mail account. | | | | you're at home are likely to have those. But just |
| If you're going to be out of town for a few days | | | | like you would avoid talking to suspect locals while |
| but you're not using your regular desktop | | | | out of town or out of the country, you should |
| computer and you're not bringing your laptop with | | | | also avoid dicey websites that could contain |
| you, try to forward your e-mail to an account | | | | spyware or worse. |
| that you've set up specifically for this trip. There | | | | If it's possible, when you're done using the public |
| are plenty of disposable e-mail addresses you can | | | | computer erase any cookies, temporary Internet |
| get for free to help with this. | | | | files, or any other information that the computer |
| So even if worst comes to worst the bad guys | | | | has collected during your web browsing. This helps |
| will only get access to an e-mail account with | | | | to protect you but it also makes a better session |
| forwarded mail in it and it's set to self-destruct | | | | for the next person who uses the computer. You |
| anyway so they're wasting their time. Obviously | | | | might not be able to do this because the |
| this means it's important to be careful that no | | | | administrators of the public computer you're using |
| extremely sensitive information is forwarded to | | | | may have blocked access to this feature - for |
| that mail account - just in case. | | | | legitimate security reasons. |
| If you log onto a computer in a public place and | | | | It should go without saying that you should not |
| you need to use a password, change it the first | | | | leave any downloaded files on the computer that |
| time you do so and use that password for the | | | | you have used and make sure that no one is |
| duration of your trip. Once you get home, change | | | | looking over your shoulder while you're typing a |
| it back to your regular password. This will limit | | | | password or login information or any other |
| your exposure to any security risks. | | | | sensitive information (called shoulder surfing by |
| Computers in public places can sometimes contain | | | | the conmen). |
| 'key logger' spyware that records every | | | | Use a little bit of commonsense when you're |
| keystroke you make. It can collect your | | | | away from home and you'll be sure to protect |
| password and collect any other information that | | | | your identity and any other personal information. |
| you type in during your session on the computer. | | | | |