From our Online Safety category..
Please be careful online.
Something quite disturbing happened today, prompting me to write this and offer some advice about what you install on your computer.
I was approached by a company that wanted OurLittleNet to become an affiliate and promote their product. In return they would pay us a healthy sum of money.
But something didn't feel right about the email. They also tried to sell us your private information:
"Another great feature is that you'll receive the "Name" and "Email" address of each person from your site that purchases (product name withheld)... We currently generate some 5,000 - 12,000 co-registrations per day with full demographics for only $0.05 each"
So I did a little digging around, and found their web site(s) unfinished, with spelling errors and a lot of impressive sounding "techno-babble" designed to impress regular internet users. Not good.
I've been developing software professionally since 1982 and can quickly sense when a company or product is not to be trusted, but most people using the internet are kind, trusting and can be fooled.
Here's what you can do:
First, some guidelines.
- Never download anything.
- Don't trust techno-babble. If you don't understand what a product does, they're trying to confuse you or are incompetent.
- Don't believe anyone trying to sell you something.
- Never forward an email asking you to.
It's important to be sceptical, and the guidelines above will keep you safe, but they can be broken if you do one simple thing..
Search for independant advice.
There are many people who will blow the whistle on companies and products with hidden agendas. You can easily find them.
- Visit www.Google.com
- Type in the name of the product and company and press Enter.
- Read the results, remembering guideline 3.
Give me an example!
Ok, here's a real example. There is a product called SpywareNuker that you can buy to protect you from bad guys and their nasty programs.
So let's search for SpywareNuker at Google.com. Click here and I'll show you the results.
When I do this I see four links that will sell you the product and six links that discuss SpywareNuker and the company that sell it. Read some of them and you'll have enough information to make up your own mind.
Get into the habit.
- When an email asks you to do something, anything, type in the subject of the email at www.google.com.
- When a box pops onto your screen asking you to "open or save" something you didn't specifically ask for, type the name into www.google.com
One last thing; we all know and love Neighbor Joe the computer whiz and Sam at work who helped you install Windows 98, but please understand that there are many levels of computer knowledge.
I'm truly not being mean or arrogant, but a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing sometimes. You can always do your own quick check on www.google.com when they're not looking. 