National Cyber Security Month - Oct 2012

1. PRIVACY - HOW ANONYMOUS ARE YOU?
Newsletter Date
HOW TO KNOW
INFORMATION IS COLLECTED FROM EVERYONE YOUR PRIVACY IS BEING PROTECTED
When you visit a website, a certain amount of Privacy policy - Before submitting your
information is automatically sent to the site. This name, email address, or other personal
information may include the following: information on a website, look for the
site's privacy policy. This policy should
IP address - Each computer on the internet is
state how the information will be used
assigned a specific, unique IP (internet protocol)
and whether or not the information will
address. It’s like a street address for your
be distributed to other organizations.
computer.
Look for indications that you are being
domain name - You can identify the domain by added to mailing lists by default—failing
looking at the end of URL; for example, .edu to deselect those options may lead to
indicates an educational institution, .gov unwanted spam. Privacy policies
indicates a US government agency, .org refers sometimes change (ie Facebook) so
to organization, and .com is for commercial use. you may want to review them often.
software details - It is possible for an organization to Evidence that your information is being
determine which browser, and operating system encrypted - To protect attackers from
that you used to access its site. hijacking your information, any personal
information submitted online should be
page visits - Information about which pages you encrypted so that it can only be read by
visited, how long you stayed on a given page, the appropriate recipient. Many sites
and whether you came to the site from a search use SSL, or secure sockets layer, to
engine is available to the organization operating encrypt information. Indications that
the website . your information will be encrypted
If a website uses cookies, the organization may be include a URL that begins with "https:"
able to collect even more information, such as your instead of "http:" If data is encrypted in
browsing patterns, which include other sites you've transit but stored insecurely, an
visited. If the site you're visiting is malicious, files on attacker who is
your computer, as well as able to break
passwords stored in the into the Created by the
temporary memory, may vendor's
375AMW
be at risk. system could
Information Assurance
access your
Office
personal
information.

2. PRIVACY - HOW ANONYMOUS ARE YOU? PAGE 2
Newsletter Date
LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF
INFORMATION COLLECTED
PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY ABOUT YOU
Do business with credible companies - Before supplying any Be careful supplying personal
information consider the answers to the following questions: information - Unless you trust a site,
do you trust the business? is it an established organization don't give your address, password, or
with a credible reputation? is there legitimate contact credit card information. Look for
information provided? indications that the site uses SSL to
encrypt your information Although
Do not use your primary email address in online
submissions - Submitting your email address could result some sites require you to supply your
in spam. Consider opening an additional email account for social security number (e.g., sites
use online. Make sure to log in to the account on a regular associated with financial transactions
basis in case the vendor sends information about changes such as loans or credit cards), be
to policies. especially wary of providing this
information online.
Avoid submitting credit card information online - Some
companies offer a phone number you can use to provide
your credit card information. This eliminates the possibility Limit cookies - If an attacker can
that attackers will be able to hijack it during the submission access your computer, he or she may
process. be able to find personal data stored in
cookies. You may not realize the
Devote one credit card to online purchases - To minimize the extent of the information stored on
potential damage of an attacker gaining access to your your computer until it is too late.
credit card information, consider opening a credit card
account for use only online.
Avoid using debit cards for online purchases - Debit cards Browse safely - Be careful which
normally do not offer the online protection that credit cards websites you visit; if it seems
offer. suspicious, leave the site. Also make
sure to take precautions by
Take advantage of options to limit exposure of private increasing your
information - Avoid allowing a website to remember your security settings,
password. If your password is stored, your profile and any keeping your
account information you have provided on that site is readily virus definitions
available if an attacker gains access to your computer. Also, up to date and
evaluate your settings on websites used for social scanning your
networking. The nature of those sites is to share information, computer for
but you can restrict it. spyware