Thursday, April 10, 2014
Let’s watch this 2-minute video first.
It’s actually just so easy to stay safe on the web, if one can grasp the message of the video and follow the instructions.
“ I understand each word, but I don’t catch what it means in all.” This is what my Dad told me, when he ran into those tech videos and instructions. He used to be a language teacher at a junior-high school for more than 25 years.
Let’s put instructions in plain English.
There are 5 rules in that video to stay safe on the web, according to Google.
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| Photo by Gerard Romans Camps |
1. Use strong passwords.
This is very important; however, as my Dad says, “I can’t even remember what I have for lunch, and you expect to remember a password with letters, numbers, and special characters. Don’t you think that is a little bit too much?”
Don’t forget, on top of that, he also needs to have different passwords for different websites!!
This is impossible, unless he writes all passwords down. But if he wrote them down, that would not be SECURE!!
Instructions:
All passwords need to be written down in a form that only the creator can decode. In doing so, we can remember our passwords, and others can’t access our accounts.
All passwords need to be written down in a form that only the creator can decode. In doing so, we can remember our passwords, and others can’t access our accounts.
2. Enable 2-step verification
This means after you input the password, your cell phone will receive a text message containing a security code. You will need to input the code to access your account. It’s good, but somehow it’s annoying. Let’s see what we can do to stay comfortable.
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| Photo by Ken Banks |
Instructions:
You should have a cell phone that can receive text messages to use 2-step verification.
If you don’t have your own computer, iPad, or smart devices, this step is highly recommended for ALL accounts. And please Log-out or Sign-out each time, after you use any account.
If you have your own computer, please make sure the 2-step verification is ON for Banks or Financial websites, such as trading.
Most important, not all websites have this service. For Banks or Financial websites, please ask the providers.
If you wish to know more about 2-step verification, and what websites provide the services, please
Read related article on Wikipedia: Two-Step Verification
If you wish to setup 2-step verification for your Google account, please
Go to: About 2-Step Verification
3. Install update right away.
One question I have been asked most is, “Is update necessary?” Many people in my Dad’s age don’t appreciate the update, because
update often associates with relearning a software. They are afraid that the interface will change too much and they may need to relearn everything.
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| Photo by Håkan Dahlström |
Instructions:
What I told my parents is to update software as often as you could. The more you update, the less you will need to learn. Every update brings some small changes, and if you catch on, it will be not much. However, if you didn’t update for years, all those small changes would turn into a big gap.
What I told my parents is to update software as often as you could. The more you update, the less you will need to learn. Every update brings some small changes, and if you catch on, it will be not much. However, if you didn’t update for years, all those small changes would turn into a big gap.
4. Be wary of suspicious emails and offers
We have talked about this in “ What Does WWW Really Stand for ?” In "stay wise in the web" : 4. There is NO something out of nothing in this world, WWW is included.
On top of what they say, there are several tricks you can learn to stop worrying about viruses.
Read related article: How to Stop Worrying about Viruses? (Posting Soon)
Read related article: Create writable and unforgettable passwords (Posting Soon)
Now, you can either read the related articles, or share this page. Then get up and enjoy your life.
