Online Banking

This service is very handy. Instead of calling your local bank to check the status of your account and various transactions, you can just go to the bank's website. Despite the bank's encryption features, you need to have a good password to prevent unauthorized people from accessing your banking information.

Strong Passwords

When creating a good password, you don't want to use birthdays, street addresses, names of relatives, zip codes or anything else that a person could guess through publicly available information. A strong password contains numbers and letters that are personally relevant to you without being apparent to other people.

Suspicious Websites

The Internet is full of companies offering programs you can install that promise to "optimize" your computer, erase your online activity, or (ironically) protect you from viruses and "hackers." So it's important to consult your friends and do research, otherwise you can get malicious or useless software in exchange for your credit card and other personal information.

Why Viruses Are Bad

Viruses don't just delete files anymore. Today they can operate quietly in the background, logging everything you type, or using your Internet connection to attack other people or store questionable data. Without antivirus software, you can unknowingly expose yourself to these attacks.

Protecting Your Passwords

You may see quite a few emails that ask for personal information (particularly passwords and credit card info), usually under the guise of "updating records" and usually carrying the threat of discontinuing a particular service. However, no legitimate service will ever ask for this information in an email.

Source:

A Guide to Internet Security

Online Tips for Travelers