One of the problems with storing information on computers is that if the computer is lost or stolen then the information goes with it.
And there seems to be a different disaster every week, with credit card numbers, addresses and even bank account details on computers that may have fallen into the wrong hands.
The concern is justified, of course, as this information could be used by criminals to commit all sorts of different frauds, costing people money and causing a lot of distress.
But these aren't the only computers that get stolen.
Laptops and even desktop computers can easily be lost or taken in a burglary, and though most criminals will only be interested in selling the computer itself the value of the information they contain could easily be much greater.
Anyone with a home computer should make a safe copy of all the information on it, including family photographs, email messages and downloaded music, just in case the computer's hard drive breaks.
But it's also worth thinking about what might happen if your computer was stolen and the thief could read all your files and use your programs.
The things that make your life easier could also make it a lot easier for the bad guys.
When you go to a website that asks for a user name and password, like an online bookstore or a community site like MySpace or Facebook, your web browser might offer to 'remember' the password for you.
It's a lot less work for you, but do you really want the burglar who stole your laptop writing to your friends or buying stuff in your name?
The first thing to do to protect your computer is to make sure that anyone who uses it has to enter a password before they can see anything.
This is standard with Windows, Macintosh and Linux computers, but you need to turn it on by setting up user accounts and telling your computer to ask you for a password.
It may sometimes be annoying to have to enter a password when you come back to your PC after making a cup of tea, but it might mean that a thief who takes your computer decides to throw away your hard drive and replace it instead of stealing your online identity.
Someone who knows that they are doing can get round these passwords, so if you really want to take care then you should look for programs that hide all of your information using encryption, like BitLocker and FileVault.
Finally, if you're unlucky enough to have a computer stolen then don't forget to go online and change every one of the passwords you use for email, website and other services, just in case.
Link:
Useful advice on keeping your password safe from Webwise
|
