Simple Ways To Protect Your Online Data

Guest post by Rick Delgado

Cyber-crime is becoming a more prevalent problem every year in the United States. This is because much of what used to be performed in face to face interactions is now done online. For example, you probably did most of your holiday shopping last year while sitting down at your computer. Criminals are well aware of the type of information you are providing websites with and are taking greater efforts to access that information.

With so much risk attributed to the internet, it is essential to take necessary precautions. In addition to heavy duty network security programs, or encrypting data before emailing sensitive information, there are simple steps you can take to make sure criminals can't steal sensitive information. Consider some of the following:

Use Privacy Settings

Social media sites allow you to choose how private you want your profile to be. It is smart to only allow people you know and trust to view your social media sites. Identity thieves will often study someone's Facebook or Twitter account to help them take on your identity

Don't Use Personal Information on Social Media

In addition to making your social media private, don't put potentially sensitive information about yourself on it. Even a birthday can give a cyber-criminal clues to a password or verification question on your bank account's website. While it seems harmless, it might be a good idea to leave that information out. Your family and friends should know your birthday anyways.

Use Several Usernames and Passwords

Don't use the same password for your Facebook and bank account. Criminals use algorithms to figure out passwords. If they do happen to figure one out, they still won't be able to access information from all your accounts. Also change your passwords frequently for an added layer of protection. Don't make your passwords obvious either.

Be Cautious of Foreign Facebook Apps

Apps have the potential to access a lot of personal information. Some of these apps are specifically designed to take your information and sell it to criminals. Be cautious of which apps you buy and what country the app is from. You are likely to be safer with apps made in developed countries like the United States.

Don't Trust Public Computers

Don't use public computers, like those in libraries or internet cafes, for sensitive financial transactions. That information could be stolen through the network. If you do use public computers, make sure to log out when you leave. If you don't, people can trace your history or log into your accounts.

Lock Your Phone

People who use smart phones are more likely to have information stolen. Have a lock or password on your screen. Don't leave passwords up on important websites. You have a lot of important information travelling around with you in your pocket. If your information isn't properly secured and you lose or misplace your phone, you could be in serious trouble.

Close Old Accounts

It is always a good idea to reduce your digital footprint. For example, if you no longer use certain social media sites, delete them. The less information you have about yourself on the internet, the harder it will be for identity thieves to trace you.

Keep An Eye on Your Accounts

Once criminals access your information they will make purchases with your credit card. Review your finances frequently to make sure there aren't any unaccounted for transactions. If you do notice any, report them immediately to your bank so you don't lose any more money.

You can never be too careful when it comes to protecting yourself and your family from hackers, identity thieves, and other cyber threats. Your virtual security is extremely important, and can keep you from becoming a victim of not so virtual crimes.


About the Author: Rick Delgado is a freelance writer who specializes in the latest advancements in technology and gadgets, and is an expert in preventing online fraud.

U is for Utilities

NCH Software ABCs Series

Software utilities utilities might be less glamorous than our other software products, but this category includes all of the software titles that you need to get your computer working for you. We�ve got software that can help with anything, including all of the day-to-day and maintenance tasks that you might need accomplished. Our focus to bring you fast and easy-to-use software is even more important for programs that fit in this category, as you want these utilities to get the job done. Whether you are burning a disc, backing up files, or cleaning your windows registry, here is our complete list of utility software:

• Bolt PDF printer
  
• Classic FTP file transfer software
  
• Doxillion document and pdf converter
  
• Express Burn disc burning software
  
• Express Zip file compression software
  
• FastFox word expander software
  
• FileFort backup software
  
• Fling ftp syncronization software
  
• KeyBlaze typing tutor software
  
• Meo file encryption software
  
• Orion data and photo recovery
  
• Verbose text to speech screen reader
  
• Verity parental control software
  
• Warp PC registry cleaner
  

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Next: V is for Video >>>

K is for Keep

NCH Software ABCs Series

Having a computer crash or losing files or mobile devices is incredibly stressful. Not only is it inconvenient, but our lives are becoming more and more digital and there is a lot more at stake than just the computer itself. I myself have plenty of things that I want to hang on to and I'm sure you do too. Here are some software tools you should take a look at to help you recover, backup, save, or store your documents.

If you have lost a file there is still a chance you can recover it. With Orion File and Photo Recovery Software you can scan your Windows PC or external drives for any deleted files that haven't been overwritten. You may be able to locate and recover the file, which is helpful for when something is accidentally deleted. However data recovery software shouldn't be your only line of defense in preventing file loss.

FileFort Backup Software provides a simple and easy to use interface for backing up your important files or folders to a variety of different destinations. You can decide where the best place to store your data is, whether it is an external hard drive, network folder, or a remote drive accessed via ftp. You can also store on physical media, including a USB stick or burning to a CD. FileFort is ideal for regularly backing up a smaller set of files. For backing up more extensive file systems on disc or via FTP you can also take a look at Express Burn or Fling FTP File Synchronization Software.

MEO Encryption Software is another important tool to have on hand if you have any files containing sensitive information. By encrypting your files you can make sure important information is kept away from prying eyes. Encryption is most useful when sharing information with others, but make sure you have safeguards in place on private information, such as a solid fire wall system and anti-virus protection.

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Next: L is for Live >>>

D is for Dictation

NCH Software ABCs Series

Dictation is still a reality in many industries. While automatic voice-to-text applications may be on the rise, and can be wonderful for the casual user, in professions like medicine and law, a mis-translated term or phrase is a costly error. In the past we have talked to professionals who have benefited from the streamlined efficiency of a digital dictation process for getting their medical reports, correspondence or case notes documented. We aim to provide a wide range of solutions to fit anyone that needs to record dictations. These flexible options allow recordings to be made from anywhere then sent off for transcription instantly, saving you time.

NCH Dictation Solutions include:

• Express Dictate dictation software
  
• Pocket Dictate iPhone dictation app
  
• MSRS court and conference recording
  
• Dial Dictate phone in dictation system
  
• Web Dictate internet dictation system
  
• Express Delegate dictation workflow management
  
• Express Scribe transcription software
  

<<< Previous: C is for Converting

Next: E is for Easy >>>

Easy Email Encryption Software

Have you ever worried about sending private information via email? Needed to send sensitive information to someone that could cause problems if it fell into the wrong hands? Privacy and security are of growing concern in the digital world with the rising levels of crimes such as identity theft. This doesn't mean that you should not send sensitive information, but it does mean that you need to be cautious about how you do it. An easy method of protecting sensitive information is to encrypt it.

With MEO File Encryption Software encrypting files, folders, and emails is easy. If you want to encrypt an email, you simply hit the Encrypt an email button from the main window of MEO and type in the To:, Subject: and Body of the email, add any attachments and hit Send. You will need to set a password for the encrypted file, keeping in mind that all of the rules you know and love regarding password strength still apply. Finally, you need inform the person receiving the email of the password or they will be unable to open and read what you sent them. It is up to you to choose a method to share the password with your email recipient, you may tell them on the phone, in another email, or even send them a riddle to figure it out. The original email they receive from you will let them know that they need MEO to decrypt the attachment. Since MEO is a free encryption software, that's really no problem at all!

HIPAA Compliant Dictation Software

With HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, in effect, medical dictators and transcriptionists have to be wary with the use or exchange of patients' Protected Health Information (PHI) in their dictation transmissions. As a medical transcriptionist (MT), they have to maintain the privacy of every patient record being transcribed.

To protect patient confidentiality, it is recommended that your computer comes with at least the following:

• Firewall protection with solid password protection for user accounts
• Regular Windows or MAC updates for computer security
• Up-to-date antivirus software
• File encryption software (e.g., Dial Dictate, Web Dictate, or Express Dictate)

The recent stimulus plan (or American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) included a specific act � called the HITECH Act (or the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act) which has specific requirements for the electronic transmission of patients' health information. For this reason, NCH Software has created a medical user version for its dictation software applications which integrate seemlessly with Express Scribe on the transcription side to maintain patient privacy through the transcription process.

Dial Dictate: HIPAA-compliant encryption to secure medical patient data when recording as .dct files.
Express Dictate: Supports HIPAA-compliant encryption, perfect to secure patient or client data for transmission over the Internet.
Web Dictate: Recording can be HIPAA-compliant encrypted for privacy and security.

Given that medical transcriptionists receive, send, and store confidential patient data, it's vital they recognize and adhere to HIPAA rules on privacy, security, and confidentiality. If this is accomplished, patient records are secured, data efficiency is obtained, and more importantly customer confidence is increased.

HIPAA offers a set of strict guidelines for protecting patients' privacy and information. Seeing as a lot of health organizations utilize NCH Software for dictating and transcribing medical records, we have carefully considered the best way to sustain these guidelines. MTs can rest assured that NCH Software will assist them in paving the way to a HIPAA-compliant future.