Trilight Zone

[digital8]

Be smart about your password.
Change your password regularly - at least once a month. Choose a good password. Above all, don't share your password with anyone. ISPs and most server administrators never ask for your password. If you receive an email asking for your password, do not respond.

Use pass phrases instead of passwords.
This is because most people, when asked to choose a password, select some simple common word. This can be cracked by a program that uses a dictionary to try out passwords on a system. The term pass phrase is used to urge people to at least use several unrelated words in sequence as the pass phrase.

Never send payment information via email.
Unlike secure web sites that protect your private data, email-or any other exchange of information over the Internet is not fully protected from being read by outside parties.

Use the latest version of your browser and email program.
Up-to-date browsers contain the latest security technology.

Know your network.
Ask your email provider, ISP, and network administrator (if you have one) to explain what sort of security arrangements they have made.

Don't open suspicious attachments.
If someone you don't know sends you an email with an attachment, don't open the attachment. Though email messages themselves can't infect your computer with a virus, infected attachments can.

Don't respond to spam.
Responding to spam lets the sender know that you have an active, valid email address. Ignore the spam and delete it, or forward it to the customer service department of the sender's email provider.

Log out of your email account.
If you use a web-based email program, don't just point your browser to a new page; log out of your webmail. If you are using a public terminal (such as an Internet cafй), close the browser before you leave.

Trust your instincts.
Be cautious about sharing personal information with anyone you meet through the Internet. Do not respond to any messages that ask you for your password, even if they appear to be from someone in authority.