Simple rules for working safely on the Internet! You need to know this! Basic Internet safety rules Basic Internet safety rules.

If you want to increase the security of your online travel, then read the recommendations below, the implementation of which will help you avoid many problems associated with business or simply surfing the Internet.

The main recommendations here are aimed at developing the ability to use passwords. If you are a more or less advanced user of a computer and the Internet (so, at an intermediate level), then you probably have approximately the following list of passwords.

List of typical passwords for any user

To your mailboxes(usually to two or three mailboxes);
-- To social network accounts(usually two, three...);
-- To Internet messenger accounts(aka Internet pagers), such as ICQ (popularly ICQ), QIP, Miranda, M-Agent, Skype, Yahoo and others (usually everyone has at least a “login/number” account in two or three of them ;
-- To the forums where you communicate(usually a person registers in 2-10 forums), and this is also a login and password for each forum;
-- To mailing services(usually two or three, where you are subscribed to mailing lists and where you can change settings - refuse or subscribe to mailing lists)
-- To affiliate program accounts(from one to dozens or even more) in which you participate as a partner (username/password is also used).
-- To your account in the electronic payment system(as well as passwords to the key file, to the wallet program itself, or to the operation of confirming the withdrawal of funds from the account, as well as the “secret key” itself to the settings of your wallets - if you decide to configure them yourself, for example, for premium payments on your website). Typically, a user registers in two or more payment systems. And rightly so, because it gives more opportunities!
It turns out, on average, about 10-20 logins, and passwords, as a rule, are a third more! But I haven’t listed everything. It is passwords that turn out to be the most vulnerable point in any security system - no one wants to remember 15 complex passwords, so they use their last name, change the keyboard layout (they write in Russian, but on the English layout or vice versa), use the names of children and loved ones as passwords, your mobile phone numbers, pet names, etc. - all of these are completely naive and unreliable passwords, especially if they are repeated!

So, here they are very simple and very important recommendations, the importance of which for you will increase in proportion to your income:

attention!
take it as seriously as possible
to the recommendations below!

1. The password exists only for you!

Never, under no circumstances Neither I nor any serious service (or service) will ask you to give any password, for example, a password to access your page affiliate program(to your personal account), to your mailbox, your bank card etc.! Consider any requests or demands of this kind as the actions of intruders or, at best, “jokers.” Keep in mind that even if the demand came in a letter from supposedly my address or the address of your bank, do not believe it! The fact is that now it is quite easy to change the name and address of the sender of a letter.

The same applies to any email service (mail.ru, new mail, yandex.ru, etc.) - never, none of them, under any circumstances, will ask you to hand over your password (including for supposedly solving problems with your mailbox).

Absolutely the same applies to electronic payment systems and any banks(no matter where they are located): no bank, no payment system will ever send you a letter asking you to send a password, confirm your plastic card number or its PIN code online!!! There is a whole system of phishing (forgery) and other methods of Internet fraud, the purpose of which is to gain access to your passwords from your accounts, credit cards, payment system accounts, etc. For example, you may receive a letter from a “supposedly bank” and following the link in this letter you will find yourself on the website of “supposedly this bank” (which will look exactly the same as the real one), where you will be asked to enter your passwords... That’s all. .. The only thing that can save you is the knowledge that no bank will ever ask you for this. If you have any doubts about something, call your bank’s support service (at the number you have written down in advance) and ask - they will tell you everything and give you advice. Don't be shy, they work for the people! Now, with the development of Internet banking, this is especially important. In addition, pay attention to the address in the address bar of the browser through which you open sites.

Moreover, more and more often, any references to anything are excluded from real letters from payment systems or banks.(which is usually specially emphasized in such letters - for security purposes). If you receive a letter from a “supposedly bank” or “supposedly a payment system” and they ask you to follow a link, do not do this (this way you can open the way to a special spyware program or virus). Perhaps the only exception is the moment of registration/activation in the payment system, when you really need to follow the link in the letter received in your mailbox to activate the registration. But in this case (!) - you know in advance that such a letter will come to you and you know why it came to you (as a rule, it arrives instantly at the time of registration). Treat any unexpected mail very carefully! You cannot click on links in SPAM email!!! No way!!! If you are interested in something and you decide to follow the link, then it is better to type this link in the address bar of your browser manually (or copy it first to Notepad, and from there to the clipboard and address bar browser, but do not click on it with the mouse (this will protect you from hidden link substitution). Be careful!

2. Store your passwords in a paper notepad or in a special, secure program!

Never (!) do not store passwords in your electronic mailbox(including in the form of a picture) . All passwords, secret keys, answers to security questions, etc. It is safest to store it in a specially designated for this purpose simple paper notepad (exclude access to this notepad for everyone except you). Designate a separate spread of your notebook for each account - indicate your login and password there, and everything you need to regain control of your account, even from scratch. When you change your password to a new one, simply cross out one and enter another.

Do this:

Go to your email inbox and delete all emails containing passwords!First, of course, write down all the necessary passwords in your paper notebook.
-- Search your local computer(at home, at work, ...) and delete all records of passwords and logins for anything.

Special tip:Buy yourself a separate notebook that you will use only for these purposes. And this notebook should easily unfold and remain open! If it is inconvenient, you simply will not use it. Good option- a paper notepad on a wire spiral. Why? Because you will often have to look into it and holding it in your hand will be inconvenient (especially if you use the ten-finger typing method) - your hands should be free. A notebook with stitched pages looks beautiful, but does not stay open. On the contrary, a notebook with a spring folds out easily and you will feel comfortable working with it.

If you use a special program to store passwords, then duplicate the password database to a special flash drive or external storage (which are stored separately from your computer) so that if your hard drive breaks or your computer is lost, you do not lose all your passwords, which will then be a very labor-intensive task to recover. At the same time, remember that “there is always strength”, this means that there is always a certain risk if you store passwords on a computer and not in a paper notepad. You can store passwords for forums and social networks in your browser, but I do not recommend storing your password in your browser. email and online banks.

3. Make all passwords complex!

All passwords, code words, secret keys, etc. always make COMPLEX to your email mailboxes, payment system programs and any other account, i.e. consisting of at least 11 characters, necessarily including numbers and letters of different registers (the ideal option is a random set of letters, numbers and symbols, for example: e & 2m @ k1E #39DJ8we).

4. Change your passwords regularly!

Don't worry about forgetting your password - you will definitely forget it(unless you decide to specifically train your memory in this way), because the password will not only be unmemorable, the main thing is that you will change your passwords every time there will be a suspicion that the passwords could be spied on or stolen, for example, by spyware detected by the antivirus of your computer. If there were no such suspicions (for example, the antivirus did not respond to a single threat during all this time), change the main passwords anyway at least every year.
Change passwords only after updating the antivirus installed on your computer and after it has scanned the entire computer(this will reduce the risk of your password being leaked due to active malware).
In addition, the number of passwords you use will increase along with the number of forums and other services in which you register to participate. Therefore, forget about making the password “beautiful”, “convenient”, “memorable”, etc. - beautiful and convenient Your password can only be used by an attacker.

Special tip: If you use manual password entry, you can make your life easier by using a small password fragment, say 5-7 characters, the same for all passwords, in all main (i.e. frequently used, not all in a row) passwords. Such a code fragment is a certain sequence of symbols that means something only to you and no one else. This sequence of symbols must be remembered and never (!) written down anywhere! Further, when writing down any password in a paper notepad, designate this universal sequence of characters with any one icon (for example, an asterisk - " * "). For you it will be clear what the “asterisk” means, but for others it will not. Thus, even if someone gains access to your notepad, he will not be able to use the main passwords). Naturally, if you yourself forget what it means " asterisk", then you will lose access to your accounts (mailbox, your " personal account" in the affiliate program, etc.), so as a secret sequence of characters, choose something that only you know, but that you will never forget. In addition, where possible, be sure to set up a password recovery function for your mobile number phone.

Special tip:This sequence of characters (your secret code word), which you denote by the asterisk symbol, should not be simple and easy to select. The ideal option is something very cleverly coded, but clearly understandable and memorable for you. Example: "pr01EsK".

5. Use mnemonics to remember your most frequently used passwords!

How to remember a complex password that you use often? (For example, for your mailbox and your messenger)

Special tip: Most often, you probably use a password for your mailbox and a password for chat communication using a messenger (ICQ, M-Agent, etc.). It is precisely because of the frequent access to your mailbox that you want to make the password for it simpler or store the password in your browser or email client.
Under no circumstances should you simplify the password for your mailbox! The fact is that in most services (including affiliate programs, Webmoney electronic payment systems, RBK Money, Z-PAYMENT, etc.), if you have forgotten your password, the support service will send it to your email. Consequently, an attacker can get hold of almost all of your passwords by knowing just one - from your email inbox. Naturally, if you do not want to lose control over your messenger, then make the password complex for it too. The passwords for your ICQ and your mailbox should not match!!! Passwords should never be the same.

However, regarding passwords that you use frequently: You you can use mnemonics and thus, you will easily remember the most complex password for your mailbox or messenger (but still write down your password in notebook to completely prevent its loss). How to remember?

For example, your password might look like this:
*moy1GODvRAYU
* is your secret code word or a sequence of symbols known only to you and not written down anywhere (you can’t forget it), and then you can read it like this: “my first year in paradise” (naturally, you must also remember where which register is for letters you use). From experience I can say that the register is easy to remember, you don’t even have to doubt it.

Another example:
ost125KGdoKMS*
We read: there are 125 kilograms left until the candidate for master of sports and then a secret sequence of symbols instead of an “asterisk”. This example is good for athletes. Let's say in the sum of three competitive movements (bench press, deadlift and squat) you need to perform 505 kg for a weight category of 75 kg, and as soon as the athlete has moved further, he changes the password to his box. Agree, in this situation it is not only easy to remember a complex password, but also pleasant to change it! ;-)

But such a password is not only easy to remember, but also impossible to guess! Consequently, the use of mnemonics allows you to make a password not only complex and, at the same time, memorable, but also unpredictable, which is very important for controlling your mailbox. For all others (programs, forums, etc.) - feel free to type random characters. If you decide for each program, forum, etc. come up with passwords using mnemonics, you will soon begin to avoid the procedure of changing the password itself, because you will spend too much time on it. Therefore, do not deceive yourself - use mnemonics to remember only the most frequently used passwords, and simply write down the rest randomly in a notepad - “as you wrote it yourself,” or using a program with a “password generator” function, of which there are many.

6. Enter the password from your address book!

When changing the password, first write it down in your notebook and only then (i.e. from the notebook!) enter it into the input field.This rule eliminates possible errors when entering a password into a notebook. The easiest way is to come up with a strong password by randomly hitting the keys in any text editor, then supplement what you get with letters of different cases and numbers. You can immediately write a random set of characters into a notepad- it's getting very in a convenient way, but only after you are able to give up the desire to make all passwords meaningful. However, first of all, write down the password you come up with in your paper notepad, and only then(while looking in a notepad, and in no case copying from the screen) type it in the required input field. This way you will avoid possible errors with entering a password, and even more so, you will insure yourself against immediately forgetting the entered password (which, oddly enough, happens to people very often).

7. When working from someone else's or public computer, delete the history!

What if you were forced to log into your account from someone else’s computer?, then before entering your username and password, disable the function of saving personal information in the browser you are using (otherwise, anyone from this computer will be able to log into your account - for example, to your email inbox). After working on someone else's computer, delete the history for the period of time you used it. However, you should remember that “someone else’s computer” (especially in an Internet cafe) is always a high risk. You may not be aware of programs installed on other people's computers - spyware, keyboard monitors (which are often installed for network administration purposes), etc. If you still had to use “someone else’s computer” to enter one of your main passwords (from email, from online banking, etc.), then at the first opportunity (!) change the passwords that you used on someone else's computer!

If you are entering a password from someone else's computer, then put a checkmark in the "Someone else's computer" field, and if there is none, then before entering your password, go to your browser settings and disable the "saving passwords" function.. This can be done in a few seconds if you know where it is. And if you don’t know, then find out in advance, find and remember. Remember: knowledge is power!

8. Use an updated antivirus + firewall!

Use a comprehensive, constantly updated software protection from malware(viruses, Trojans and spyware etc.). If you DO NOT use protection, then all the above recommendations are almost meaningless. Go to the settings of your security programs and set the parameters to ensure high security(usually everything is clearly written there, and if you don’t understand something, look for visual videos on YouTube or write to the user support service and they will explain everything to you). It is comprehensive protection, at least “antivirus + firewall” or antivirus with a firewall function, that can keep data relatively safe.

9. SPAM is dangerous!

DO NOT open attachments to letters from recipients unknown to you, and DO NOT click on links or pictures in received spam.Although, there are viruses that act on behalf of recipients recorded as known to you, so in any case, configure your antivirus to scan all files downloaded from the Internet. Opening files received by email (Word - .doc, Excel - .xls, etc.) do not allow macros(after all, your friends may not even realize that they are sending you a virus along with a letter). Ask those who write to you to indicate clear email subjects- this measure protects against accidental deletion of a normal letter along with spam. In addition, avoid “hot places” - for example, all kinds of “erotic-crack sites” - this is a favorite habitat for viruses of all stripes.

10. Set your browser to safe mode!

First, use the "update browser version" function(developers are constantly improving the functionality and security of their product, do not neglect this).
And secondly, set your browser to the most secure mode for surfing the Internet. Read articles on the Internet about how to increase the security of using your favorite browser. It won't take much time, but on the contrary, it can help save a lot of time and nerves.

With strict security settings, problems may sometimes arise when downloading files from sites you visit or when displaying all sorts of “bells and whistles” in them. In such cases, either add the site you need to the list of trusted ones (for the browser Internet Explorer this is adding the site to the "trusted sites" zone - menu Settings/Internet Options/Security), or use manually switching settings for this page, or (but only as a last resort!) temporarily Lower the overall security level in your browser's Internet Options. I remind you that you must have configured different security parameters for both the “trusted nodes” zone and the “Internet” zone in general. If you are engaged in e-commerce, then I recommend setting the most stringent security settings for the general “Internet” zone (disable all sorts of them in “Internet Options” / “Security Settings” Java Script, ActiveX, etc.).

In general, I recommend using a browser Mozilla Firefox . It's free, easy to download and install, and working with it is infinitely more pleasant than with a regular one. Internet Explorer`om. If necessary, install the necessary extensions (plugins), for example, a plugin for removing ads or a site reputation plugin, to do this, take advantage of the offer to go for extensions (plugins) using the link that the browser will offer you when updating.

If you cannot open the page you need on a reliable site you know, then it may be that your firewall or antivirus is doing something weird (but the browser has nothing to do with it) - then for these security programs, indicate that this site can be trusted. Look through the settings of these programs and you will see everything.

Always follow the security recommendations offered by the resource you use.(for example, a website, mail system, payment service or mailing server) or program(For example, Keeper Classic, necessary for working with Webmoney). Take your time and do everything as recommended. If you can use additional security settings that a web resource offers, then use them! For example, go to your mailbox settings and enable restricting access by IP address. Next, create a complex response to Security Question, which is used to recover your mailbox password (and be sure to write down this unique answer in your paper notepad). For example, you can select the question “what is the name of your dog” (although you may not have any dog) and write down “JimmK007*” as the name (this answer can be read as follows: Jim Carrey is agent 007, and “asterisk” is this is your code word). And so on, use all possible security settings.

Mnemonic technology helps not only to remember, but also subsequently to easily enter the password from a notepad into the required input field. At the same time, be sure to keep in your paper notepad an indication of the type of question used (for example, “what is your dog’s name”) and the answer to the security question itself! Otherwise, it may happen that you wrote down the answer, but forgot which question... Remember that your mailbox is the key to many of your passwords! Following the security recommendations of a particular web resource will not be difficult for even the most inexperienced user (nowadays everything is done for people), and if difficulties arise, the support service of the corresponding resource will always answer and help you.
Remember the truth: knowledge is power!

Dial in search bar a request to search for security holes in the email services you use, payment systems and other accounts that are important to you!For example, a request may sound like “security holes in mail.ru” or “how to protect a mailbox on mail.ru”, etc.
You will find a lot the most useful tips- use them, however ignore any methods that require you to enter your personal data(otherwise you’ll send your passwords straight to the hacker, who, under the guise of helping, does exactly the opposite). Spend your time on this, otherwise you will lose much more in the future. In a good situation, for example, if you noticed a leak of funds in time and contacted the support service and blocked your accounts, then you might save the money, but what if not? Then who will return the time spent on earning them? No one will return the time of your life to you! Therefore, find out in advance how to quickly block (by phone or via the Internet) the accounts you use.

Special tip:Try to create your email accounts only on those email services that support secure ( SSL) connection.

Special tip:Do not store large amounts of money in your electronic accounts. As soon as the amount has become significant for you, withdraw funds from the electronic account by transfer to a bank account or into your own hands. By and large, this is the only measure that reliably allows you to protect your money.

13. Back up the files you need onto removable media!

This applies to everyone. I have twice experienced what “hard drive death” means and I wouldn’t wish it on my enemy. The first time this happened was when I was writing my Ph.D. thesis... This is generally a separate topic: on the computers of many dissertants, hard drives break down (after my bitter experience, I began to remember such stories about others), and in general, it was noticed that what The more technologically advanced and advanced the technology, the more sensitive it is to the human condition - after all, everything that exists ultimately consists of energy... I am sure that with the massive transition of humanity to computers developed and operating using nanotechnology and ultra-low energies, a real problem of interaction will arise computer with the mental state of the user. This will create considerable difficulties and endless new opportunities...

But let's return to the realities of the present day. If you do not copy important files (for example, a copy of your website, customized scripts, etc.) to a removable hard drive or large flash drive, then you are risking a lot. As soon as you have made a lot of changes to files that are important to you, copy them to a removable hard drive, flash drive, floppy disks, etc.

Special tip:get yourself a separate portable hard drive - for the Archive (for important files, for example, key files, licenses, important documents). Keep it only at home and nowhere else. Never take it anywhere. Never plug it into someone else's computer! It doesn’t matter how much you trust the owner of this computer - he may not even know what’s going on on his machine! Are there many of your friends who know everything about their computer? That's it... Copy everything to this removable disk significant files. And on this disk, store the key file from your electronic wallet management program (for example, the Keeper Classic program). Separately, I emphasize once again: store the key file only on removable media(this file will only be useful to you when reinstalling Keeper or the operating system). If you still don’t have one, then archive the key file (after changing its name and extension (Keeper allows this) into a password-protected archive. Make the password as complex as the system allows, and simply delete the original (unarchived) key file (and from the basket too). Write down the password itself in your paper notepad; part of the password should be a secret sequence of characters that you remember, and write down only with the asterisk symbol.

14. Free programs can be dangerous!

Be careful and do not download or install again. free programs from sites that have no reason to trust.Along with such a program (or under its guise), you can install a virus or spyware. If you are an avid experimenter, then it is better to get yourself a separate computer (or a separate virtual operating system, or at least a separate account) for experiments and install whatever your heart desires there. Naturally, then it should not store confidential data, installed programs for working with electronic payment systems, and the like.

15. Turn off the "keyboard monitor"!

I also recommend NOT using programs to record all keys pressed.(“keyboard scanners” or “keyboard monitors” - your passwords will also be stored in their memory, since these programs record all actions with the keyboard - every key pressed). All your passwords should be stored only in your address book (and, possibly, additionally in special program for storing passwords), and preferably with a “code fragment” (remember about the “asterisk”? - see paragraph 3 above - Special advice).

16. Don't be a fool!

Do not get involved in the games “magic wallets”, “reading letters - highly paid remote work on the Internet”, “send us 100 bucks and you will receive 1000”, etc. Don't be fooled by this!
If some supposed "employer" asks you to pre-deposit a certain amount of money (it doesn’t matter under what pretext and why - to open an account for you, make a pre-payment, register you in something, etc.), i.e. in fact asks you for money BEFORE you receive your earnings, then these are scammers , this is guaranteed to be a scam pure form or in the form of a financial pyramid (in the second case, you yourself can become an unwitting deceiver). Never buy into this. Well, if you buy it, it’s your own fault, as they say. Then learn from your mistakes. A good rule of thumb is: if you lose money on something, think of it as a paid lesson. Draw all the necessary conclusions so that the lesson will benefit you.

Remember these two simplest and truest principles that help you see deception and fraud:

1. Know firmly: If you haven’t earned anything yet, and some “employer” is already asking you for money, then this is definitely a scam!

2. Know firmly: If you are offered to “earn” decent money, but there is no real product or service (that people really need and would sell), then this is a scam.

The difference between normal civilized network marketing (or MLM) and financial pyramidsThis is exactly what it is - in network marketing (in MLM companies, for example, in the Oriflame company) there is a product or service that is sold that people need, but in the financial pyramid there is no product, or there is only its appearance, but in reality money is simply transferred from the pockets of some people to the pockets of others. So don't "throw the baby out with the bathwater" ;-) ! Those. Do not confuse real network marketing with financial pyramids and other scams.

I wish you an interesting and useful surfing on the Internet!

Best regards, Vadim Levkin