1. Don’t use a single password and PIN everywhere. No one uses same key for house, car, office, briefcase and deposit box. Generally, most of the people use different keys. Suppose one uses the same PIN everywhere, then an opportunity is being created for a thief to unlock every door.
2. Do not login (into) third party applications that ask for email logins. Third party applications are programs written to work within operating systems, but are written by individuals or companies other than the providers of the operating system.
3. Do not click on pop-ups that appear while browsing the web. Those pop-ups may contain malware which can be automatically downloaded to the PC. Pop-up ads are a form of advertising intended to attract web traffic or capture email addresses.
4. Do not be lazy to update your antivirus software. If antivirus software is not updated, then you are leaving your computer open for all kinds of malicious attacks from the minute of expiration of the software.
5. Do not click on the phishing mails, which shows that you have won something or saying that your account is at risk, which generally creates a sense of urgency. A Phishing mail usually asks for information’s such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity. No banks or trusted organizations will ask their users to do that.
6. Do not forget to delete system’s cache, passwords or history. Easiest place for a malware like software to hide in the system generally tends to be in the temporary folders where browser cache, passwords or history is stored. If one fails to check this, then the possibility of identity theft and stealing of bank and email information’s are inevitable. If possible try to reset your browser frequently.
7. Do not open a fraudulent email or spam mails. Clicking on a fraudulent email will allow the cyber criminals to easily access your computer. Also never access any account information like bank info through email links which can allow access to your account information. Also ensure to have a back up for emails like how you keep record of important hard copy documents. Make sure that all the attachments are scanned before opening them.
8. Do not forget to log out of any account that you have logged in, especially when you are at a cybercafé.
9. Do not download free stuff like screen saver, videos and pictures from other websites. Downloading free stuffs from unknown website can dangerously harm your computer. Suddenly the computer begins to slow down as malicious software’s come along with those downloads. And always access safe websites to download useful information or data.
10. Do not allow an unknown person in your social networking accounts like Twitter and Facebook. Social networking websites have become a craze in the modern generation. Hence, protecting one's identity and account is really important with increasing threats on the Internet.
