Buying A Laptop For College? Protect It!

Internet threats can be a big problem for any student, with a laptop in college. Most students think they know how to protect themselves, and their laptop. The best thing you can do is keep updated on current information from trusted sources, such as our website.

Internet Threats Defined: Protect Your Laptop In College

Spyware, malware and viruses can put a damper on your homework and research efforts.

1. * Malware and spyware: Both collect personal information, browsing habits, trigger pop ups and install additional items.
2. * Virus: Viruses do several harmful things to your computer, and can control your laptop from a remote location.

Make Your Laptop For College Internet Safe

There are 3 simple things you can do to make your laptop safe on the internet: use 1. Mozilla Firefox, 2. Install McAfee Site Advisor software, and 3. Adjust your habits while online.

1. Mozilla Firefox

1. * Pop up blockers: The browser blocks them with ease, and tells you when it does so.
2. * Untrusted site warnings: Firefox stops untrusted sites from loading, and warns you before proceeding.
3. * Automatically updates: This browser updates itself, to stay current.
4. * Private browsing: This tool is invaluable when keeping you safe with your laptop in college: cookies, history and personal info are never stored when in private browsing mode.

2. McAfee Site Advisor Software

You need to protect your laptop for college homework, and Site Advisor protects you against malicious websites that use phishing software to steal personal data. The tool puts "safety rank colors" beside your Google or yahoo search results, indicating the level of safety each website has. It's as easy as downloading the tool, and heading over to Google to see the results it gives you.

*Green indicates a good site, yellow means careful, red stands for unsafe, while a question mark means there is no ranking yet. Keeping your laptop protected in college is easy if you stick to green.

3. Adjust Your Online Habits While Online

You spent good money on your laptop for college...why risk costly damage by ignoring the very things that can compromise it? Especially with all of the social networking sites we all visit; like Twitter and Facebook. Don't ever put anything private on these, or any other pages - nothing is truly private on the net! Aside from not posting personal information, here are a few things to keep in mind to protect you further.

Unprotected wireless connections provides access to your laptop in college, or any other area you have WiFi. Since they are "unprotected", this should be obvious to anyone - however many students will order things from Ebay, or order movies, and accessories without realizing anyone with in range can access their data - and do so with limited computer knowledge! > Hacker sites give tips on how to do unsavory things to anyone who can read.

Never, ever save your personal data, credit, or banking information on any website. Some are secure...but why risk being the victim? Your laptop for college is yours, and so is your credit! Don't risk losing one, or both due to a risky decision.

Conclusion

Common sense is all that's needed for personal information...and your laptop in college! You really just need to realize that although the internet makes your life more convenient, it also makes it easier for scam artists and fraud experts to steal your personal information, or hijack your laptop for college studies - if you want to be able to finish your assignments at your dorm, instead of going to the comp lab...follow our advice!