Protect Yourself Online

Your personal information is valuable—and you should take steps to protect your privacy.

The Web sites you visit should protect any and all personal information that you submit. Unfortunately, not all of your favorite Web sites live up to the high standards that TRUSTe demands for online privacy.

But you can still be smart about protecting your privacy. Here are some online safety tips to help you protect your personal information, secure your computer and minimize your chance of Internet fraud.

Your Software	Your Browser	Your Email Address
Your Id & Passwords	Privacy Policies	Privacy Seals
	Backup

YOUR SOFTWARE

Use anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall software-and make sure it's up-to-date.

Anti-virus software protects your computer from viruses that can destroy your data, slow your computer's performance, cause it to crash or allow fraudsters to access or control your machine. You can download anti-virus software on the Internet or buy it in retail stores. Look for anti-virus software that updates automatically to detect new viruses, as well as older ones. Please note that "trial" antivirus software often expires after a certain period of time and will no longer update until a full version is purchased.
Spyware is a software program installed on your computer without your consent to monitor your behavior online, record your keystrokes, send pop-up ads or redirect your computer to certain Web sites. Anti-spyware software can remove or disable existing spyware on your computer and prevent its installation without your consent.
Firewalls help keep hackers from using your computer to send out your personal information without your permission. A firewall monitors external attempts to access your computer and blocks communications to and from sources you don't authorize. Check to make sure your operating system includes a firewall. If it doesn't, you can download any number of free firewall software programs on the Internet. You can also install a hardware firewall -an external device that includes firewall software.
To guard against new threats, keep your software up to date. Visit Download.com or Onguard Online for a list of anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall tools.

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YOUR BROWSER

Configure your browser or operating system to manage pop-ups, cookies or block specific Web sites.

There are primarily two kinds of pop-ups: 1) pop-ups that originate from and advertising for the site you're visiting, and 2) pop-ups created by software (adware or spyware) that's external to or additional to your browser software. Today's major browsers generally offer built-in tools that prevent the first type of pop-ups. You can best manage pop-ups created by spyware or adware by using anti-spyware software or removing the offending adware.
Cookies are small text files that a website places on your computer through your browser when you visit. Each cookie is set to send specific information to the web domain that issues (or "serves") the cookie whenever you revisit the Web site that has served it. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to a computer.
All the major browser platforms offer advanced cookie-management tools. Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) uses P3P (Platform for Privacy Preferences) to enable machine-readable privacy statements made by cookie issuers to make management decisions about cookies. Firefox, Netscape, Safari and IE browsers also provide cookie-management options that let you accept or reject cookies based on first- or third-party context and/or the particular domain of the issuer. You should also review the privacy policies of the Web sites you visit for their policies on cookies.
Blocking specific Web sites. Today's major browsers also offer anti-phishing tools, many of which categorize or restrict access to specific web sites. Additional commercially available anti-phishing or parental-control software can further limit your browser's access to objectionable or harmful sites.\

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YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

Use a separate email address for online transactions.

Keep the inbox you use to communicate with friends and family free of spam-use a separate email address when you fill in forms as you shop or conduct other transactions online.

Use email addresses and information that do not identify you personally on Web sites you don't know or trust.

If you're asked for personal information, always find out how it will be used and protected before you share it. Feel free to omit personal information that's not required for the transaction. If you don't feel comfortable that you know or trust the Web site to keep your information secure, consider providing an email address or information that doesn't reveal your identity.

Use email encryption.

Email encryption prevents information you send across the Internet from being intercepted or tampered with. Check with your email service provider to make sure your messages are encrypted. When providing personal information on a Web site, make sure the transaction is secured with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption. Look for the padlock symbol in the status bar at the bottom of your browser - it lets you know you are using encryption.

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YOUR ID & PASSWORDS

Change passwords on a regular basis.

Your passwords are vital in protecting your personal information and transactions online. Change your passwords at least every 90 days to reduce the chance that a computer criminal can gain access to your computer or online accounts.

Don't use the same password across multiple sites.

Use a simple formula to vary your passwords for different sites (ie the first two letters of Yahoo + your pet's name + your birth year = yakitty77).

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PRIVACY POLICIES

Read privacy policies to learn how your information will be used and protected.

When visiting a Web site for the first time, always make sure the site has a posted privacy policy--and read it. It should explain how your personal information will be collected and used or shared with other parties. Online privacy policies should tell you what security measures the company takes to protect your information and whether you can request to see the personal information the Web site has collected about you. If a Web site doesn't have a privacy policy, consider doing business elsewhere.

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WEB PRIVACY SEALS

Look for third-party seals or certification to identify trustworthy companies.

Confused about who to trust online? Third-party seals and certification on a Web site-such as the TRUSTe seal-indicate that the site is committed to your safety online. Companies that display these seals on their Web sites have been certified by third-party experts to be adopting security or privacy practices that help keep you safe and informed online. Learn more about different seals and what they mean on the Web.
It's easy to make sure that any seals displayed on a Web site are valid. All of the major authentication seals offer a link to a page on the seal provider's site. If a retail website displays a seal, but the seal doesn't link back to the appropriate seal-provider's site when you click on it, move on-even if you can't beat the price. Learn more about how to avoid fake seals.

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BACKUP

Back up important files.

Although taking the recommended steps above will help you protect your personal information online, no system is completely secure. Copy important computer files onto a removable disc, and store them in a safe place.

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Visit these online safety and privacy tips often for regular updates on web safety to protect yourself against online frauds and scams.

Click to Verify

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When you see this symbol, click to verify! Find out what is required to display this seal on a privacy statement.

Tutorial

Online Privacy: A Tutorial for Parents and Teachers

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Learn how to discuss online privacy risks with your students and children
Read the tutorial

File a Watchdog Complaint

TRUSTe can help resolve your privacy dispute with any of our licensees.
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