Safe Surfing
by Doug Anger, Technology Columnist

While the discussion on Internet safety often revolves around kids and young teens, online criminals often target college students and adults. Every day, new viruses emerge that can harm your computer. Every year, Crackers use phishing attacks to steal millions of identities. This weeks column discusses in brief how these dangers can be minimized and provides links to further reading. 
Viruses
Viruses cause billions of dollars in damage to computers every year. The most common methods of transmission are email messages, macros, instant messengers, and downloaded software. The best way of avoiding viruses is to exercise caution online.

Do not open email attachments or click links from people you dont know.
Be caution with email attachments from people you do know. Viruses often spread themselves through email. If your friends or co-workers computer is infected, the virus is likely to send itself to you using and it will appear to come from that person. If the attachment is an executable, call or email the sender to find out if they really sent it.
Configure your email client not to automatically open attachments.
Configure your instant messenger not to automatically accept files sent to you.
If you get a warning about macros when opening a file (typically in Microsoft Office), do not allow the macros to run unless you have confirmed with the sender that they are supposed to be there.
Do not download software from untrusted sources.
Do not pirate music, videos, et cetera. The peer-to-peer software people often use to do this is a common source of viruses.
Always keep your anti-virus and security software up to date.
Always back up your files.
Identity Theft
According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (http://www.idtheftcenter.org/), 7 million people became victims of identity theft between July 2002 and July 2003. The problem is only getting worse. Identity theft is the worlds fastest growing crime.

Identity thieves steal credit card numbers, social security numbers, and other personal information. This information is often used to make purchases that will be billed to the victim. These criminals often get their information directly from their victims over the Internet through Phishing (discussed in last weeks column), Cross Site Scripting, and online scams. Use caution when online to reduce your chances of being the next statistic.

Urgent messages asking you to verify your account information are usually hoaxes designed to steak your data. Never click on links from these emails. (Emails sent to verify a new account are usually legit, provided you just tried to create said account.) 
Do not browse to trusted sites (like your online banking) at the same time as untrusted sites.
Do not post your lifes story to Facebook or MySpace. Criminals can use seemingly innocent information to perpetrate identity theft against yourself or your friends.
Be aware of who can see any information you post online and act accordingly. If you use Facebook, use the privacy settings to protect your information.
Do not buy from online stores you do not trust. (You are giving them your credit card number, you know.)
Configure Your Web Browser
While it is no replacement for cautious browsing, configuring your web browser with high security settings will help to keep you safe online. Guidance for this can be found online at http://www.us-cert.gov/reading_room/securing_browser/.
