Internet safety tips given at SCCC

NEWTON — "Who here uses the same password for more than one internet account?" Century Link representative Karin Fialka asked a packed room of students at a recent internet safety seminar at Sussex County Community College. Criminology and computer science students were in attendance to hear speakers from both Century Link and Verizon talk about how to protect personal computers - including laptops and tablets - along with smart phones from viruses and personal information being stolen. Fialka noted that $475 billion has been lost to individuals and companies due to computer hacking. Some tips to phone and computer security include: Rotate through at least nine different passwords. Students were advised to write these down in a small personal notebook if they were concerned about forgetting their passwords. Change a password at least every ninety days, although some advise changing it as frequently as every thirty days. Only purchase name-brand smartphone "apps" such as Apple or Android. Only use public WiFi for non-personal transactions. Don't make purchases or conduct online banking on public servers. Delete all secure accounts from websites visited infrequently. The more that are open, the more chances there are to get personal information hacked. Example: if a Craigslist account isn't needed, delete it. Guard home WiFi servers with secure passwords. If possible, turn it off when an internet connection isn't needed.