Lions Clubs International

Computer security :

• Install a firewall and virus-checking on your computers.
• Make sure that your operating system is set up to receive automatic updates.
• Protect your computer by downloading the latest patches or security updates, which should cover vulnerabilities.
• Encrypt any personal information held electronically that would cause damage or distress if it were lost or stolen.
• Take regular back-ups of the information on your computer system and keep them in a separate place so that if you lose your computers, you don’t lose the information.
• Securely remove all personal information before disposing of old computers (by using technology or destroying the hard disk).
• Consider installing an anti-spyware tool. Spyware is the generic name given to programs that are designed to secretly monitor your activities on your computer. Spyware can be unwittingly installed within other file and program downloads, and their use is often malicious. They can capture passwords, banking credentials and credit card details, and then relay them back to fraudsters.

Email security:

• Consider whether the content of the email should be encrypted or password protected.
• When you start to type in the name of the recipient, some email software will suggest similar addresses you have used before. If you have previously emailed several people whose name or address starts the same way – e.g. “Dave” - the auto-complete function may bring up several “Daves”. Make sure you choose the right address before you click send.
• If you want to send an email to a recipient without revealing their address to other recipients, make sure you use blind carbon copy (bcc), not carbon copy (cc). When you use cc every recipient of the message will be able to see the address it was sent to.
• Be careful when using a group email address. Check who is in the group and make sure you really want to send your message to everyone.