Behaviour that can improve your online security:

• Don't open an email attachment, not even from someone you know well, unless you were expecting it. Most viruses "spoof" addresses to make it appear that they are coming from someone who knows you.
• Do not open email attachments (even from friends!) that have two extensions (for example, .vbs.scr, or .scr.exe). Multiple extension attachments are the first sign that a file could be more than it seems. Single extension .exe files can be dangerous as well.
• Chat programs can be harbingers for spreading viruses too, so you should never accept or open a file from someone you do not implicitly trust.
• Always run a firewall with both incoming and outgoing protection, so that a spammer can't plant a program on your computer to spread a virus or use your connection to send spam. (If a Technical Support representative is helping you troubleshoot your Internet connection, you may have to disable the firewall temporarily. Just remember to re-enable it when you're done.) Even un-installing and re-installing your firewall program every once in a while is great for finding programs that may have slipped through at some point. For even better protection, get a router, which is more secure than just having a software firewall doing all the work.
• Update your security programs constantly. Even with the best security software in place, all it takes is a failed update/download to make yourself vulnerable to the latest virus/security loophole.
• Regularly update your operating system to make sure you have the latest security patches. For Windows-based systems, run Windows Update from the Start menu. For Macintosh, go to the Software Update Control Panel.
• Run regular backups of your important data.
• Using passwords that are at least eight characters long and that include numbers and/or a symbol (such as #) can help circumvent password-cracking software. Avoid common words and names.
• Don't believe everything you see/hear/read about security issues. If you are ever in doubt about what to do, contact Technical Support at 1-888-207-0204. Many security scares are just hoaxes, which are almost as bad as actual viruses. They end up getting you to delete some important file from your computer, which then makes your system unstable (sometimes to the point of crashing it).

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