Web safety score checklist

Posted on 08 July 2010.

Are you sure your most sensitive financial and personal information is safe when you’re banking or shopping online? The Web Safety Score checklist by SafeCentral helps answer that question.

Once consumers determine how safe or risky their Internet behaviors really are, they can follow the prescribed steps to ramp up security measures.

Are your Windows Updates set to “Automatic?” Windows Updates are free for all Windows users and can be even more vital than antivirus protection. Setting Windows Updates to Automatic ensures they are legitimate, and by keeping PCs up-to-date with the latest safety patches from Microsoft, consumers can close off dangerous holes in the Windows operating system that malware writers can use to infect computers.

Is your antivirus software installed and activated? Antivirus programs keep out malware that sneaks in through holes in an unprotected operating system, or through other downloadable applications like Flash and QuickTime. Layering antivirus protection with Windows Updates helps to plug most major security breaches.

Is your firewall turned on? Firewalls keep out network worms from the local network or Internet that can infect computers. Firewalls also have advanced features that block out other forms of malware.

Do you visit websites using HTTPS? Most people are used to visiting websites with an “HTTP” prefix. When dealing with sensitive online activities, like banking and shopping, Internet users should protect themselves by visiting the HTTPS version of the site. This helps to verify that consumers are on the website they think they’re on.

Do you verify the websites you visit? Using relatively unknown websites is much riskier than sticking to well-known names and brands. Internet users should research new sites before visiting them, just like they would any new restaurant or store in the non-virtual world.

Source & Credit : http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=9550