The Internet And You
The Internet is everywhere today — at work, in your home, in coffeehouses, in airports.
Thanks to wireless technology, it follows you virtually anywhere.
The benefits of wireless technology are boundless. With a desktop or laptop computer,
or even with an Internet-enabled cellular phone, you can quickly and easily go online to:
- Reference educational resources — Find a definition or a spelling, conduct quick and easy
research or take a Web-based college course without ever leaving home. You can even check your children’s
grades online or find out if they turned in their homework.
- Communicate with family and friends — Keep in touch with loved ones in any part of the world
via e-mail, send video greetings and photos, create a personal Web site, chat via instant messaging or
talk live and “face-to-face” via a Web camera.
- Search for information or entertainment — Find out where to catch the latest film,
buy tickets to a live performance, make reservations at your favorite restaurant, search for
and purchase a new suit or pair of shoes, or participate in an online auction.
- Banking and e-commerce — Check balances in checking or savings accounts, find out how
your IRA is doing, transfer funds, buy and sell stocks, and even deposit checks electronically.
There is no doubt that the Internet makes our lives easier. Activities and tasks that once took
hours to complete can be taken care of quickly and easily. But as beneficial as the Internet might be,
it is also a breeding ground for fraud, identity theft, invasion of privacy and other cyber-crimes.
Use the Internet, but use it wisely. This article gives you tools and tips that will help you reap the
benefits of electronic technology, while arming you with the information you need to protect yourself and
your family. See Internet Language for frequently used Internet terms.
Creating Passwords
Passwords are used to access personal information stored on a Web site or on your computer.
Although your password should be easy for you to remember, you will need to change it often.
Why? Because passwords obtained by fraudsters or thieves can be used to gain access to your financial
accounts or private information, or to impersonate you when applying for credit, opening bank accounts
or purchasing products.
Protecting Your Passwords
- Create passwords with a combination of at least eight letters and numbers, and use both upper- and lower-case
letters. Longer passwords are harder to decipher.
- Think of a phrase or sentence meaningful to you and easy to remember. Then, take the first character from each word,
alternate upper and lower case and use some common letter-number substitutions.
- Avoid the use of personal information as part of your password. Do not use your name, your pet or child’s name,
your Social Security number, or your current or former address.
- Stay away from number or letter patterns and sequences (for example, “121212” or “abcdefg”).
- Change your password every 60 to 90 days.
- Vary your password — do not use the same one for every account or retail site.
- Use a password that differs from your screen name.
- Do not store your password online.
Topics covered in this section are:
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Wellness
Wellness