Keep your digital life safe

May 17th 2010 is known as World Information Society Day. Aiming to raise global awareness of societal changes brought about by the Internet and new technologies, Kaspersky Lab warns of the dangers posed by cybercriminals and offers tips for a secure and pollution-free digital life.

Using social networks, as well as banking and shopping online have become part of our everyday lives. A generation of digital natives is living online – and offline – often without being aware of the dangers of the Internet. More than 400 million people worldwide are now on Facebook(1), and more than half the population of Europe is part of the world’s biggest social network.(2) Children and teenagers are in particular danger of exposing personal data, such as private pictures, to the general public, and of revealing private information in social networks. On the other hand, however, the security experts at Kaspersky Lab process an average of 30,000 new malicious and potentially undesirable programs every day – and the number is growing rapidly.

On the occasion of World Information Society Day, Kaspersky Lab provides some simple tips for a secure digital life:
•    Keep Windows and third-party applications up-to-date.
•    Back up your data regularly to a CD, DVD, or external USB drive.
•    Don’t respond to email or social media messages if you don’t know the sender.
•    Don’t click on email attachments or objects sent via social networks if you don’t know the sender.
•    Don’t click on links in email or IM (instant messaging) messages. Type addresses directly into your web browser.
•    Don’t give out personal information in response to an email, even if the email looks official.
•    Shop or bank only on secure sites. These URLs start with ‘https://’ and you’ll find a gold padlock in the lower right-hand corner of your browser.
•    Use a different password for each web site or service you use and make sure it consists of more than 5 characters and contains numerals, special characters and upper- and lower-case letters. Don’t recycle passwords (e.g. ‘jackie1’, ‘jackie2’) or make them easy to guess (e.g. mum’s name, pet’s name). Don’t tell anyone your passwords.
•    Make sure you share your child’s online experience and install parental control software to block inappropriate content.
•    Install Internet security software and keep it updated.

While up-to-date protective software is essential for every Internet user, it is particularly important for those who spend a lot of time interacting with others via the Internet. Failing to use this type of software enables malware to take up residence on your computer, where it can intercept your login information for social networks and other services.

Kaspersky Lab protects Internet users against all kinds of cyberthreats through its different security solutions, such as Kaspersky Anti-Virus and Kaspersky Internet Security. The latest in protection, Kaspersky PURE solution, offers additional features, like a password manager and data encryption to free Internet users from digital pollution.