Seven Ways to Keep Your Children (and you!) Safe on the Web

1. Have up-to-date security software. Choose a good one. Keep it updated.

2. Install WOT (“Web of Trust”) on each browser on your computer. It ranks websites on search lists, and warns of unsafe places.

3. Use a Domain Name Server (DNS) called OpenDNS. It uses strong filters to stop access to inappropriate websites. (it stopped this researcher accessing Page 3 of the Sun newspaper!)

4. Position computers in spaces where you can walk by and just take a quick check. Trusting children to be sensible and safe is important, but keeping an eye on them is also prudent.

5. Teach children how to be safe. Encourage children to be honest if they stumble into an inappropriate website. Let’s face it, we’ve all done it! Allow children to reveal their blunders without fear of wrathful retribution.

6. Children need to know that the computer keeps a record of where a user goes on the internet. Which means that grown-ups can check. (Yes, it is possible to wipe the history, but even then it is possible to get it back. You have been warned!)

7. Use a reputable computer service engineer to install and check your safety measures. I know one!

Too Much on Hard Disk

Believe it or not, you can over-fill a hard drive. It is recommended to have about 15% of the space free. Why? Because your PC needs it.

During activity, the computer sometimes stores files temporarily on the hard drive. When it is done with them, the files are removed. If it can't find enough space, however, problems can occur.

It's very easy to check how much free space there is on your hard drive. Double-click My Computer/Computer, and there will be an icon for your hard drive (usually labelled C:). If you right-click on the drive icon, you will get a pie chart of free and used space on the drive. (This is especially useful for those of us who dislike doing percentages in our heads!)

A good service from a reputable computer technician will release some free space. However, the main reason hard drives get over-full is because we store so many files on them.

Many of us have good intentions with our holiday digital photos, for example. "I'll just copy them onto the PC, to store them safely, and in the dark days of winter I'll spend happy hours editing, enhancing, and generally sorting out my collection." Or words to that effect.

Years later, and the photo store has not been touched! Well, that's my confession over.

Whether it's pictures, music, videos, or documents, they first need to be backed up to an external source (memory stick, external hard drive, "the cloud"). Then, regularly review whether you need all those file. If not, remove them.

But above all, keep an eye on how much free space there is on the hard drive. A lot of files stored there means a lot of files to potentially lose if the hard drive fails.

I am writing this beacuse I'm currently working on a laptop that has too many photos on it. Some have been duplicated (I think) in backup folders on the Desktop. I am backing up all the data files I can find, and then I will have to delete some folders so that the laptop can run reasonably smoothly.

It's all rather slow, but I'll get there, and hopefully (fingers crossed) no precious files will be lost. Here's hoping. I now need to concentrate hard. End of blog!

Two Email Accounts?

Apart from those people who have a work email as well as a personal email, most people only have one email account. It makes life so much simpler!

But a recent problem with a customer's computer highlighted the importance of having a second, personal email account.

The customer's Hotmail account had been hacked, and a load of spam was being sent out in his name. Hotmail blocked the account, having noticed the unusual volume of messages the account was sending.

To unblock the account involved receiving instructions at another email account - but my customer did not have one. And there was no way round that requirement.

I had to bring the PC back to my work bench, and use my email address to get the instructions for changing his email account password.

That experience set me thinking - are there any benefits in having more than one personal email account? Certainly, in the instance above, it was virtually a necessity.

I've heard of people who have an email account reserved for all those occasions when you are asked for your email address and you just know you are going to get stuff you don't want from the sender - adverts, special offers, and the like.

That seems like a good plan, except you do have to check the reserve account regularly, as lack of use after some months will mean your account will disappear. It pays, therefore, to visit the account and clean out the accumulated clutter, once a week or thereabouts.

There are plenty of free accounts around (as well as Hotmail), and your Internet Service Provider will usually provide additional email addresses. So it's worth considering.

I once heard of a famous footballer who had separate mobile phones for each of his girlfriends. Now there's a thought - a separate email account for each of .... I'll not go there!

Keeping Safe

These are notes for a talk I gave at Heald Green Business Club on 11th July 2012, about safe behaviours with a computer.

On the Internet

Always have up-to-date security software. I know they update automatically, but it pays to manually update regularly - when you first switch on, for example.

Install WOT on all your web browsers, so that you can see the safe sites when you get a list after a Google search.

Both the above are done as part of a TLC Full Service.

Remember the THREE main ways viruses get in:

·         visiting dodgy websites (you know what I mean!)

·         infected downloads (e.g., "free" music). Always safe then scan

·         out-of-date software

Updates for known software targets are done as part of a Full Service.

Scan and Cons

Beware anyone ringing up saying they know you have a PC problem, or that your Microsoft Licence is about to expire.

Please alert anyone you know to these scams, especially those who you know would be more vulnerable to such an approach.

If anyone has been lulled into letting the con artist access their PC, I can use remote access to quickly check. My Remote Access Facility is FREE during July.

Disaster Recovery

Both business and home users should be backing up their important and precious data files regularly. Ask yourself: "If my PC were to be totally destroyed tonight, where are my backed-up data files?"

Everyone should have at least one set of back-up data files away from your main PC.

Everyone should also consider making use of online/cloud storage. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) usually offers some free space. For business users, please consult www.backthatup.co.uk - the owner, John Williams, is a member of Heald Green Business Club.

Giving Away Too Much Information

And finally, a plea to customers - be careful what you tell me (or any other tradesperson). I know you can trust me with information about when you are not at home, but if you were burgled and the police asked who knew you were away, you would say: "The computer man!"

Also, when you pay me, don't let me see where you keep your cash. If you were robbed, the police will ask who else knew you kept your cash there, and you will say: "The computer man!"

Please be circumspect, to protect yourself, and also to keep me out of the clutches of the police!

Who Can You Trust?

The vast majority of my customers are lovely people - and often very trusting. But sometimes I think they ought to be a bit more careful about what they tell me.

I contacted a customer today to arrange to call for a computer repair. She proceeded to tell me in great detail when she would be away from her house during the next week! If I assume she lives on her own, she is telling me far too much information.

Imagine if she was burgled, and the police asked her who knew she would be away from her house at the time of the robbery, she is going to say: "The computer man!"

And then there are the customers who go to a drawer in the kitchen to get cash to pay me - in full view of yours truly! "Sir, who knew where you kept your cash?" "The computer man!"

People can be far too trusting. To give my customers confidence that I am who I say I am, my picture is on my website, my picture is on the articles I write for a local postcode directory magazine, and I always show photo ID when I visit a customer for the first time. So, it's pretty straightforward to check that I am Chris Turner from TLC Computer Servicing.

But please, dear customers, be a bit more careful about the information you divulge. Tell me when you ARE available (rather than telling me when the house is going to be empty), and always keep cash and other valuables away from prying eyes.

It's lovely that you feel able to trust me (even before you've met me!), but not everyone is as scupulous as me. I will NEVER take advantage of such information or knowledge, but, please, I'd rather not know.