Eight Easy Ways to Protect Your Email from Hackers

Last week, Facebook was hacked, resulting in some users having porn and violence posted on their pages. The suspicion is that it was done by posting a link that, if you clicked it, would give the hackers access to your account and wall. This is just one way people who are up to no good get into your computer.

Others are directly through your email. Do you get emails telling you that your credit card is cancelled, your Facebook password has been changed, your ACH transfer didn't work, or that your Craigslist account is being closed?

This is called phishing or trapping, and comes from people who hope that you naively think "oh no, I need to fix that!" and click their link, where bad things can happen.

Hackers. Really, what the heck is it that makes someone want to put their intellect to work just to screw with other people?

Some hackers have a financial objective, wanting to gain access to your credit cards. Some are looking for confidential or compromising information. And some, like the Facebook hackers, may just get a thrill from spreading a computer virus that will cost other people lots of time and money to fix.

Whatever the reason, they're not going away, so it's important that you take steps to protect your computer and your personal information from people who are up to no good.

Here are eight easy ways to protect your email from hackers.

1.  Be skeptical of any email from someone you don't know that wants you to click a link, and from people you do know, too.

I am anti-skepticism in daily life, but online, it's imperative. Carve this one in stone: Don't click on suspicious links. Even if something came from a friend's email, if it looks weird, don't click on it. If you're not sure, email your friend and ask; they might not even know they've been hacked.

Common phishing emails will pretend to come from PayPal, a bank, UPS, or other familiar companies, and will tell you there is an urgent problem that you need to log on to deal with. Don't click that link unless you are entirely positive it's legit, because it may be a fake log-in page. To be safe, go to your browser and type the URL in yourself so you know you're in the right place.

2.  Install anti-virus and anti-spam software and update it regularly.

If you do a lot on your computer, it's worth investing in a more powerful solution, but there are several free products out there that the computer techs I know recommend. Check out SuperAntiSpyware and MalwareBytes, and set them to download updates automatically. Remember to set it to scan at certain intervals, and make sure it's doing it.

3.  Keep your browser updated to the latest version.

Whether you use Explorer, Firefox, Chrome or something else, browsers are constantly being updated to fix problems or weak spots. Keep your software updated and remember to schedule regular times to scan your computer for anything that slipped through. The suspicion is that the Facebook hackers took advantage of weaknesses in some browsers to get access.

4.  Create a formula for strong and memorable passwords.

Create strong and memorable passwords with a formula you use consistently. Don't use the same password for everything, but instead use the same formula.

Choose a base password (let's say it's Irene because that is your grandmother's name, but it could also be the street name where you grew up, or your favorite cocktail), and then add to it using the first and last two letters of the name of the site you're registering on.

For example, your password for Amazon with this formula would be AMIRENEON, and for Groupon it would be GRIRENEON. Many sites require you to use a number or character as well, so you could have a system of always adding the same characters around your basic formula, making it #AMIRENEON! or 123AMIRENEON321. If it's a consistent formula, it will be almost impossible for anyone but you to guess.

5.  Don't reply to or open attachments from people you don't know.

There are different ways to get your information. One is to send you an email that encourages you to reply, and your reply gives them your IP address, which they can then use to hack into your email account.

Attachments can be set to launch bad things in your computer, so if you don't know what it is, then don't open it. If you do have to open documents from strangers because of your job, then make sure your antivirus program is always up to date; new viruses and Trojans that can do real harm to your computer are coming up all the time.

6. Don't trust a public Wi-Fi connection.

If you're working on a public computer, or you're online via a public Wi-Fi, it is possible for whatever you put in to be seen or captured. Do not do anything that requires passwords or logging in while on public Wi-Fi. If you don't want it to be public, don't send it over an unsecured connection.

7.  Have an email account just for public use and lists.

One bad thing about having someone hack your email is that the email provider will probably shut your account down when it starts being used for spam. Create an email account you use only for lists and newsletters, so if it does start getting more spam or gets hacked, it won't be hard to just shut it down and start again.

8.  Don't use obvious "secret answers" to questions.

When a website asks you to set up secret answers as a way of verifying your identity, remember that all kinds of information about you can be found online, including the name of your dog, your anniversary and the name of your high school. This is how a hacker gained access to Sarah Palin's email account last year.

Do you have other suggestions for keeping safe from hackers, phishing and other internet subterfuge? Please share.

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