Vol1 – Safety tips for users on a public computer
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Safety tips for users on a public computer
When everyone is traveling and working, their laptop battery died and there is no slots on the wall, just to charge your battery. So, what is the alternative when it comes to working? You will have to use a public computer and get your job done! There are no excuses when it comes to reports, essays and deadlines. If you don’t get it done, there will be trouble and I know that from my own mistakes. However, there is something that you will need to be aware of and avoid it from spreading. Everybody called these as: “computer infection & computer viruses”.
1.] Working on a public computer is kind of dangerous. The previous user may install dangerous programs and logs your events and even your keyboard strokes! I know it’s crazy and obviously dumb. But, whoever did this is in for a big showcase and they act like a bunch of crying baby – like the others before him!
My biggest advice is to check these computer for any unusual activity. Some of the public computer will allow you to check the systems’ processes and these directories: “Program Folder, My Document Folder and anywhere else that looks accessible.” Nevertheless, if you spot something bad, you should report it to the person who is in-charge of this computer.
2.] Accessing your documents and file is a good thing. But, you will need a hard drive (external). That is right folks! Everybody around the world does carry an external device and slot them into a free slot (USB port). It can’t be ignored as it is a very important item for backup and storing files. However, there is a downside about these wonderful devices: they are not safe if you plugged them into a public computer.
First of all, did you check these programs carefully, if these Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware and Firewall are active and responding? Just check the system and make sure it is active. In other terms, you don’t want these infected hooligans – bombarding your external hard drive, do ya? If you don’t want them to have a crush on your beautiful external devices, then you better do a ‘quick scan’ before inserting your devices to a free slot (USB port).
Secondly, the system should have good protection against viruses, trojans and other scams. I would recommend you to check the computer for these type of security software.
Avira AntiVirus – http://avira.com
Kaspersky Antivirus – http://kaspersky.com
BitDefender Antivirus – http://bitdefender.com
AVG Anti-Virus – http://free.avg.com
ComodoFirewall (Free) – http://comodo.com
ZoneAlarm Firewall (Free) – http://zonealarm.com
Third from all the ancestors, you better get a portable browser: “Firefox / Opera”. These little program will erase all of your private stuff when you close them. It doesn’t matter if you forget to logout or anything. The data will remain inside your USB drive. But, everytime you tried to remove your external devices, the data from your temporary folder (USB browser) will also be flushed down the toilet. No need to ask question there…
http://www.opera-usb.com/
http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable
Finally, if you ever encounter a public computer with these type of security software, you should be a bit more vigilant and careful. These Anti-Virus program was reported by individual users that their external devices was corrupted from a scan. Their data and information are also gone when they are plugged into a public computer with these lame security programs.
Norton Antivirus
Sycmantec Antivirus
Mcafe Antivirus
Notes: these security product was rated by individual users as: “poor detection, scans results causes side effects on removable devices, system file are corrupted, crashes and eats a lot of system resource.”
Losing your work is crazy and you are going to get grounded from your holidays and you are going to have a lot of trouble with your boss. Even worse, they are not going to believe your little tales. So, here is my advice: keep a backup of your files and documents in your second external devices and use the first one for testing. You should always do this on your computer before using a computer from the office or from a public computer.
3.] Surfing the WEB is really enjoyable and it’s not like old grannies surfing on the beach in stripped bikini. But, there is a downside: privacy issues, viruses and malicious attacks. Therefore, you should always wipe / erase the stuff that you downloaded and erase your tracks from prying eyes. The best way to remove these traces is to remove the ‘cookies’ from a public browser. So, how hard could it get into your thick skull? If you don’t know the terms of cookies, then please read a book about the world of internet. But, in my own terms, this word is NOT food that you use to crunch in your mouth!
Secondly, I hate to admit this. But, if you are really illiterate on computer, then look in the mirror and asks yourself this question: “how many years have I used the web?” If you do know it by hearth, then you should have the knowledge / ability to surf the web safely and check your emails properly. However, I don’t know why. But, my head is telling me to avoid Facebook, Bebo and other social networking sites. The only thing that I know about this site is serious hackers that tried to attack the users with DDoS attack. So, in my own opinion, you should avoid going into these website / domain. It doesn’t matter if you are using a proxy or not, the hackers can still find you and plot a scene on your little work. Yes, that is possible and I’ve heard of this weird method before. So, be careful and don’t ponder too much in a dangerous domain.
Finally, if you download a file that is very important and private, you should always remove it and dump them into the ‘trash can’. Don’t forget to check the bin and empty the trash before you leave the computer! You don’t want people to see your work or see you kissing your ex-girlfriend from an image file? Then do it for crying out loud! We don’t want you as a gossip either!!
4.] When the computer hits its old age where grannies walked with their sticks, you should know the rules: check the computer for viruses and look at the hard drive capacity. It is simple and I should leave that to you for now. But, if you don’t know how to do it, then let me tell you this: “when All Else Fails, Read the Instructions…” In other terms, just buy yourself a book and learn it in your own time. Other users in your office are too busy blabbing at each others head and they will not tell you how to do it. Simple as that…
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