With so many horror stories of terrible things that could happen to you while you are on the Internet or connected to the Internet, it can be a little scary if you're not even sure what you're looking for. While having a vast knowledge of every possible threat or danger you could encounter is nearly impossible, you can stay informed about basic safety practices that should help you avoid putting you or your computer is danger.

There are three basic "safety issues" that could happen from email, web-surfing, and downloads: computer viruses, spyware, and identity theft. Here is a brief description, and basically how to avoid the risk.

Computer viruses-we will use this as a catch-all phrase for any malicious software that is destructive to your computer. This type of software is usually passed on through emails and networks. They usually get worse the longer they are on the person's computer and can cause the computer to run slow, lose valuable system and personal files, or crash completely. Here's what you should do to avoid viruses:

* Have a good antivirus protection program running on your computer at all times.
* The antivirus program should be scheduled to regularly scheduled to scan your computer for viruses.
* Don't open or run files from the Internet that you do not recognize or did not initiate.
* Delete emails from people you don't know and NEVER open an attachment you don't recognize. Even with people you know, it might be a good idea to call or email them about the attachment to be sure they sent it.
* Make sure your antivirus or your email account (or both) have an email scanner for both incoming and outgoing emails.

Spyware-for the sake of this discussion, spyware is anything that can't be caught be an antivirus program, including adware and other "disguised" malware. Spyware is software (or attached to software) that appears to be some helpful or necessary download, but instead collects information about you or your computer that could invade your privacy, takes over your Internet navigation or reassignes your homepage, be an annoyance, and use up your computer resources. Here's what you should do:

* Download a spyware detector (make sure it's legit and isn't itself spyware) to remove existing spyware if you are suspicious of possible spyware activity.
*Don't download any program unless you have seen several reviews from reputable websites.
* Have a good firewall enabled and downloaded on your computer.

Identity theft-this is a situation where your credit card or social security information, or any other identification information is stolen from you. This can happen easily over the Internet because it only takes seconds to transmit your personal information across the world. Here is how to avoid identity theft:

*Never submit identity information and passwords on a public computer or over a public internet connection.
*Don't give out your personal information to a website with which you are unfamiliar, or if you must,
*Research new websites before giving out private information. Read the Terms of Service or Privacy Policy of the websites you don't know. Sometimes your browser, antivirus, or other reputable websites can also attest to the veracity of websites.
*Never give personal identity information over email, chat, or instant messaging to a person you don't know, regardless of how legitimate they sound.




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