Avoid these online blunders

Avoid these online blunders

Tools

Story Published: Aug 11, 2008 at 7:55 AM PDT

Story Updated: Nov 21, 2008 at 12:26 AM PDT

By Herb Weisbaum

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Here are two dumb things you can do on your computer -- mistakes that can ruin your computer or let a bad guy steal your identity:

1) Use the same password for all your accounts.

"Better to have slightly different locks on the doors than one," says Jeff Fox, technology editor at Consumer Reports. "If someone gets that one password, they basically that's like the keys to the kingdom."

Creating different passwords doesn't have to be difficult. Fox says use variations on one password -- just make sure it has letters and numbers.

2) Download free software -- maybe a utility or screen saver -- from an unknown source.

There could be malicious software piggybacking along with the freebie.

"Sometimes it may just annoy you with ads, but it could also redirect your browser or change your home page," Fox explains. "There's some spyware called key loggers that actually capture all your key strokes which can let somebody access an account."

Play it safe. You should only download freeware from a reputable site, such as snapfiles.com, download.com or pcworld.com.

For More Information:

Avoid These 7 Online Blunders

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