Communicating on the Internet through many social networks like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or some messaging programs such as Skype, ICQ, Yahoo, MSN is a great safety risk, same as the usage of e – mail. Therefore, we are giving you (8) eight advices for carefree and safe communication with the rest of the world. Although you have already heard similar advices many times, this is a unique opportunity for gathering the most important recommendations at one place.

1. Take caution when creating your username
   Every service that provides communication via Internet will ask you to enter the name that will allow the others to “recognize” you at network of all networks. By no means should you choose the names that would hint on you precisely. Thus, when you are asked to enter a nick, choose any, for example racer18, detector123, nick20, smallandbig, etc.

2. Careful when revealing your name
   By no means should you reveal your real first and last name in public, and your e – mail address. We have to be extra careful with our e – mail address, and pay good attention who we are giving it to, and where do we enter our real e – mail address. If it is really necessary (and most of the times it is),when it comes to registration on different web pages and web forums, we can use a different e – mail address opened on some of the free e – mail services, in order to protect our real mail inbox from spam.
3. Fake presentation
   Always communicate only with those people you know in real life as well, because you never know exactly who might be on the other side. Besides, look at our first advice: if you present yourself as “john123”, who could uncover you immediately? In addition, would you be able to know who is hiding behind the name of “johnybig”?
4. Passwords, credit cards
   When communicating on Internet with the other people, you must not reveal any of your private data, such as your credit card number, PIN, password for approaching some other service and alike. In a word – no personal information revealing.
5. Blind dates
   When you have decided to meat in real life someone you should take all the precaution measures. For example, don’t go alone to such appointments (take a friend with you) and always arrange the meeting in a public place (such as café bar, library, etc.).
6. Do not open just about everything
   Never open pictures, download information, or click the links that you receive in messages sent by unknown people, because you never know if they contain a virus, or if there is a possible threat of stealing data from your computer. In case you receive that kind of message from the person you know, check with the sender if it really was that person, who sent the message.
7. Business or private?
   Never send private messages while at work. It is possible that your employer has the rights to check the messages you sent. You don’t even know how many employers supervise network transactions of their employees, and if you break the business regulations, you might even get fired.
8. On public place
   If you are using a public computer, you must not use under any circumstances procedures, which will allow the automatic login. People who will be using the computer afterwards could see and use your information to login and introduce theirselves on your behalf.

Tags | Howto, Messenger, Security, Social Network, Tips and Tricks