High Speed Internet and Privacy

How does a cable or DSL connection affect your high speed internet and privacy?

Surfing the internet at high speed is a great time saver.  Once you make the switch from dial up you will probably never want to go back.  Although high speed internet does affect your privacy in ways that dial up does not.

A broadband connection not only means high speed but also means that you are always connected to the internet.  This always connected status gives hackers more time to hack into your system.

To keep hackers and strangers out of your computer you should have a good firewall installed.  A firewall makes the ports on your computer invisible to hackers searching the web looking for an open port.  A firewalls' purpose is to prevent outside access to your computer.

More tips for high speed internet and privacy

	Use a router that has a built in firewall in addition to the firewall that you have installed on your computer.
	Turn off your computer when you are not using it.
	Check with your ISP and see if it is ok to turn your modem off when not in use.
	Check with your ISP and see if they can provide you with a dynamic IP address instead of a static one.
	Disable file sharing so your neighbors won't gain access to your computer.
	Keep all your software, such as firewall, anti-virus, anti-spyware, internet browsers, etc updated with the current security patches. These programs are constantly changing to protect you from the latest threats – just make sure you stay current.

Two more tips for all internet users 

	Install a good anti-virus program. Computer viruses are programs that infect other programs, and then spread (hence virus). Some viruses also include instructions to damage an infected computer, or delete sections of the hard drive, etc
	Install a good anti-spyware program. Spyware programs can gather information about you, your shopping habits, your surfing habits, your passwords, your personal information, etc., and then send the data collected to some company or internet scammer. Your personal identity could be at risk.