Mistake
#1: Clicking on Advertisements
A free iPod! A $500 gift card! A new
computer! How could Jenkins resist not clicking on any of these ads? Well truth
be told, advertisements that seem too good to be true generally are too good
to be true. These ads will often link to websites that can install software on
your computer without your knowledge. After a while, this software will start
slowing down your computer and it sometimes may even contain viruses or malware! This isn’t the case for all ads, of
course. Clicking on the ads of reputable companies won’t damage your computer
and might provide you with some useful products or information. It’s the really
awesome-sounding ones that might. So the next time you’re tempted to click on
an ad that promises an easy way to lose 20 pounds in 2 days, think twice!
Mistake
#2: Visiting Dark Corners of the Internet
The next bad thing Jenkins did was
visit websites located in the darker corners of the Internet. That may sound
kind of odd, but there are places on the Internet where websites will run
programs without your knowing, and they will ask you to download all sorts of
malevolent software. The best advice I have for this problem is to use websites
you know can be trusted; and if you must venture out into the wild west of the
Internet, I suggest using Google to see whether you can find any reviews for a
specific website. Just try typing the website in question into the Google
search box, followed by some of the following words: “security,” “reviews,” and
“problems.” If there is a problem with the website, you will see some startling
results appear very quickly!
Mistake
#3: Opening Email from Someone You Don’t Know
Spam is one of the most annoying
things in the world, and it was yet another seemingly harmless thing that
brought down Jenkins’ computer. Opening email from someone you don’t know can
have very harmful consequences. Many spam emails will just try to advertise
some bogus product, but others are a more dastardly. Some spam messages can
download and run viruses that infect your computer and then send the same virus
to everyone in your contacts. I can’t imagine you being very popular
after infecting all of your friends and relatives!
Watch out for very generic subject
lines in an email
Watch out for very generic subject
lines on an email, such as “Hey, I thought you might like this!” or “Check out
these awesome pictures!” Spammy subject lines will often play on a person’s
curiosity to trick them into opening the message. It is best to just delete
spam mail right on the spot. And never, EVER click on a link in an email. Copy
and paste right into your browser instead.
Mistake
#4: Using Weak Passwords
Your account is only as strong as
your password. Jenkins made a huge mistake when he decided to use the same
password for his Gmail, eBay, iTunes, and PayPal accounts. That decision was
made even worse by the fact that the password was “1234.” These types of
passwords are simply not secure and can easily be guessed by any evildoer
wanting access to your information. My advice is to use a strong password of 8
or more characters and change it up a little bit for every different account
you have online. Having a weak password while surfing the net can leave you
high and dry when someone has access to all of your files!
Mistake
#5: Not Using an Antivirus
Okay, so the last 4 topics I covered
are simple ways Jenkins messed up and are easy ways to avoid 90% of the
problems you will encounter on a day-to-day basis. But no matter how careful
you or Jenkins try to be, chances are something will still try to infect your
computers. The remedy here is to make sure you have an updated antivirus! The
key word here is “updated.” It does you no good to have an antivirus that
hasn’t been updated for a year; that’s like trying to catch a fish with a net
full of holes.
Don’t go out and buy the most
expensive software available, because there are plenty of great free options
out there, such as Microsoft Security Essentials
for PC and Sophos for Macs. For the
most part, these programs require minimal upkeep and will generally keep
themselves updated. I suggest using one antivirus software only, and
doing a scan once a week to keep your computer clean.
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