Personal Safety: Internet

Gems From the Forum

Sher started a discussion on personal safety, I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread on internet safety. For instance, in going through some of the profiles, I've noted that some people put their hometown and state in the publicly available information. Most of the people in the world will not do a thing with such information. There are a few sick people in the world who will use such information to stalk, harass, or harm someone they "found" through such information though. Sad fact, but true.

For Delphi(Prospero)-based forums (such as this one) here is the way to change what information is publicly displayed about you:

Click on "My Forums" in the upper right corner of the window.

Click on "My Profile"

Click on "Change Profile"

Delete any information you don't want to be available to EVERYONE who visits the forum, and click the "Submit" button. This is your main profile.

In the profile box, there also three "options" at the top: "main," "personal," and "favorites" Click on "personal"

This brings up a new screen that allows you to fill in personal information AND to check a box on who can see it. If you want to fill this out, be sure to check the button to display the card to "only friends." This will allow the people YOU designate as "friends" to see the card, but no one else.

The "Favorites" profile has the same options, and is a way for you to share your favorite websites in certain categories with "all," "friends," or "only me" (useful as a kind of back-up bookmark file, I guess).

How to designate someone a "Friend" so that they can see your card:

Click on the person's name in a forum message (in either the "from" or the "to" field). This gives you their "main" profile, with three options down the side... "send email," "add to friends." and "ignore posts" (this one works wonders on trolls, folks).

Click on "add to friends" and voila! they can see anything you have designated (your personal profile or favorite sites) as being available to friends.

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NEXT, securing your computer from prying eyes:

I don't want to "steal" someone else's work, so I'll just post the link to the VERY good information put out by the American Bar Association's Commission on Domestic Violence: How An Abuser Can Discover Your Internet Activities

This site explains how to clear your "history" and "cookie" files so that someone with access to your computer can't find out what you've been looking at. WARNING: A computer expert may be able to find ways around these procedures, so if you're concerned that someone you know who may wish you ill has the ability to do so, use a friend's computer or a library computer for visiting "sensitive" sites (like how to leave a violent relationship, for instance).

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NEXT: Hacking security.

I don't know a lot about this. However, having visited the home page of "our" Antony, I know he does. Although, he does it for a living, so it may be too much to ask him for free advice... but anything you can share would be helpful, Antony!

I do know there are consumer "firewalls" and similar products that can help:

Black Ice Defender

The Black Ice Defender isn't a true firewall, it simply makes your computer more-or-less invisible to hacker's probes. This company also makes true firewalls for business applications.

Zone Alarm

Zone Alarm is more like a true firewall, and also makes your computer "invisible" to hackers.

If you want to know whether your computer is vulnerable to hacking, visit Shields Up! for a real time test of the security of your connection to the internet. You may be unpleasantly surprised.

OptOut

This prevents your computer from sending information via "spyware" programs. While these are mostly marketing companies, I have NO doubt that some enterprising hacker will someday find some way to make use of spyware code to get the same kind of information.

Karen

If anyone is using Windows and Internet explorer, MSN Computer Central had some good safety downloads.

There is also an "anonymous cookie" download, that will make your cookies unavailable for reading, so you can accept cookies, yet the webmasters that you visit (Amazon reads cookies and gives out info, BTW) cannot read your cookies.

Clearing history is mainly to protect you at home, and the cookie reading is not too terribly bad, but some webmasters can read them. Firewall yourself, don't give your real name or address.

I never do.

More Forum Gems on Personal Safety

Precautions
Obviously, the first line of defense is to take what steps you can to avoid becoming a victim in the first place. Forum member SherRiley shares some hard-earned wisdom.

Self Defense
Sometimes, the worst happens and you find yourself under attack. Forum members PaxtonJR and NiceAsIWant offer tips for surviving that worst-case scenario.

Gun Safety
Forum member and former armed self-defense instructor ACHESSOR offers his expertise to those who choose to include guns in their self-defense planning.

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