Even though anti-virus software, a firewall and Spyware removers will go a great way to keeping you protected on the internet, there are still some other things I think you should keep in mind.

Keep your operating system up-to-date

The makers of operating systems are always finding ways they can improve or ‘patch’ their programs after they have been released. Some of these patches may contain important fixes for some flaws that may allow hackers to break in to your computer. For most of the latest operating systems like Windows XP, Vista and Mac OSX there are automatic updates to ensure your operating system is always up-to-date. We recommend that you enable automatic updates if they’re available.

Disclosing your details on web sites

Always it’s a rule of thumb to only disclose your details to sites you trust.

Some questions you should ask before submitting personal details include:

• Is the site secure?
• Can you see the padlock at the bottom of the browser which indicates a secure connection?
• Are you definitely at the company’s site?
• Does the domain name still indicate you’re at their web site?
• What effort does the site make to educate their privacy policy?

Disclosing your details by email

It is recommended you never disclose confidential details by email (e.g. credit card number and passwords), especially if you don’t know who will read the email, and where it will end up.

Sometimes viruses or hackers can intercept information in emails, so don’t provide any more confidential information than you need to.

Banks will never ask you to disclose or agree to any account actions by email – They will always suggest you manage your account securely online on the Bank’s website.

If you are unsure that an email you received was from your bank or not then contact the bank by phone and ask them of the email’s authenticity.

Be careful about advertising your email address

Several spammers have automatic programs that cycle through web pages looking for email addresses (called Spam Spiders), they can add your email address to their mailing lists.

Once you’re on one, it’s very hard to get off of it. So try to avoid posting your email address where it’s recorded in the public domain, like a message board or chat room.

If you need to post it, try disguising it by putting spaces before and after the @ or by writing the word instead instead of the symbol, e.g: username @ intelinsideidiotoutside.com or username at intelinsideidiotoutside.com.

Keep an eye on your usage

A spike in your usage when you haven’t surfed so much out of the ordinary is a good indicator that you may be infected with a virus, adware or spyware, especially if your uploads are far greater than your downloads.

If this happens, you should update your virus definitions and scan for viruses immediately, as well as updating your Anti-Spyware softwares and scanning for spyware and adware.