Safety on the Net
There are many benefits from an open system like the internet, but one of the risks is that we are often exposed to hackers, who break into computer system just for fun, to steal information, or to spread viruses. So how do we go about making our online transactions secure?
Security on the Web.
Security is crucial when when you send confidential information online. Consider, for example, the process of buying a book on the Web. You have to type your credit card number into an order form which passes from computer to computer on its way to the online bookstore. If one of the intermediary computers is infiltrated by hackers, your data can be copied.
To avoid risks, you should all security alerts to high on your web browser. Mozilla Firefox displays a lock when the website is secure and allows you to disable or delete cookies- small files placed on your hard drive by web servers so that they can recognize your PC when you return to their site.
If you use online banking services, make sure they use digital certificates- files that are like digital identification cards and that identify users and web servers. Also be sure to use a browser that is compliant with SSL, a protocol which provides secure transactions.
