How to Discard Personal Computers Safely

Technology is always being upgraded faster than humans can finish using the old ones, knowing how to discard one’s personal computer is very useful. Information stored on the hard drive is very difficult to remove, unless one counts destroying it physically. However, it is also wise to at least wipe the hard disk before taking the computer to the recycling center. Therefore, there are several steps that one should follow to ensure the security of the information embedded in the computers.

One should always have a backup of important files that one wants to keep. If it is only the case that is to be discarded, then the removal and storage of the hard drive are simple. However, when the drive is also discarded, it should be wiped before the recycling process. There are wiping programs that are available for free download on the Internet—Active@KillDisk and Softpedia DP Wiper. However, it is not a guarantee that all the information is deleted. Going to a refurbisher is another choice, instead of doing it by oneself. After this, look for legitimate recycling centers near one’s location and discard the computer there. Non-profit organizations also accept donations of used computers. The manufacture of the computer may sometime recycle the materials they produced. 

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Online Shopping Precautions

During this age of Internet, shopping also goes online. However as the Internet is not any safer than the real world—sometimes even worse than the reality, it is worthwhile to take many precaution before buying anything online. Shop at websites that one could trust and is reputable is one of the many ways to protect from frauds and hackers. One way to know if the website is secure is the ‘s’ after ‘http’—‘https://’. Another way is locked padlock at the right bottom of the browser. Some merchants use security programs that have been approve by guidelines. It may have a seal at the bottom of the site. The most popular one is TRUSTe.

Furthermore, one should always read the privacy policy to see if the merchant discloses personal information to a third party. It is also wise to be careful of cookies which the website attaches to codes on the browser to track the sites one visit. Some shopping sites use cookies to develop easier check out routines. However, one should erase cookies often. Another note is that one should use Credit Cards instead of Debit. It is easier to refuse a charge with a credit card then a debit. Last but not least, store the copies of the receipt, both hard and soft, in case of lost. 

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Wireless Networking Precautions

There are many coffee shops, fast food restaurants, airports, and hotels that offer free Wi-Fi to its customers. However, free connectivity means that the activities of individual users are open to be seen by anyone on that network. Hackers can redirect the users to phony websites and collect information on the PC. Worse yet, the computer can save that hotspot and joined it again automatically in the future. Thus, it is especially important to have some security measure applied to the computers that will connect with hotspot.

            

There are many ways to take precautions. There must be a hardware firewall. Do not use the Internet for any other activity than simple browsing—not banking, not paying, or receiving money of any kind online. One should not even log into email accounts because the passwords used may be replicated. Look for legitimate networks instead of connecting to random hotspot. Do not open shared folders because one may accidently upload malware onto the personal network. Last, do not select the option for automatic connection, but manually select the hotspot even if one must do that again next time. There are several options on some operating systems that put a certain status to certain type of Wi-Fi—work, home, or public—and only allow certain access to the computer. It is still useful to follow other precautions rather than relying on the computer system to do the job.

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Strong Password

There are four characteristics that strong passwords have: length, complexity, variation, and variety. The password must be at least more than eight characters. It must be complex, using the entire keyboard. It should have capitalization, numbers, and symbols—the more intricate the better. Some hacking software even check for easy replacement of letters to symbols; for example: & versus and; 2 versus two, etc. Therefore, avoid letter-to-symbols adaptations. However, no matter how strong the password is, it can still be hacked. Thus, users should take care to change the passwords of important accounts every 3 months. Lastly, a variety of different passwords should be applied to different accounts. The same password for multiple accounts is a big no-no.

            

There are many services out there that can help with creating passwords. Some password management softwares have their own password creator. If remembering too many passwords is a chore, consider a password management software. Avoid writing down passwords because it may be lost or stolen. Moreover, common errors when creating passwords are using sequence or repeated characters, personal information (birthdates, name, license, and other important numbers), and common words.  

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Internet Filters & Parental Control software

Internet filters can be found already packaged with some browsers and search engines. They are software or hardware that prevent access of users, especially minors, to websites that contain inappropriate text or content. They employ keywords search to select which sites are to be blocked. Some filters also have options to track kids’ activities on the Internet. However, every technology has imperfections. Internet filters can sometimes block access sites that are legitimate and safe. Moreover, some youths can find loopholes in the filters. Despite these setbacks, some filters are a must because it keeps most age-inappropriate materials from kids. Some internet filter softwares are Net Nanny, CYBERsitter, and CyberPatrol. Currently, twenty-five states mandate that internet filters be applied to public schools and libraries computers to prevent exposers of explicit or obscene materials to minors.

Parental control software most often includes internet filter options. It can limit the amount of time or create a schedule of when a child can go online. Advanced parental control programs, those most likely come with a price, have a wider list of “bad” websites, are able to monitor instant messaging and control all devices. Parental control is also available as hardware, controlling all online devices—Netgear Live Parental Controls, iBoss Home Parental Control Router/Firewall, and NETBLOX. Some parents do not use any legitimate control software and resort to spywares: Spector Pro, PC Pandora, and etc. These programs record keystrokes, take screenshots, and copy password, all of which are nearly illegal. There are a lot of choices parents have. However, the best choice depends on the needs and usage of each family. 

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Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

Radio Frequency Identification is a system that uses radio waves to identify and track objects. The most common type of RFID is small computer chips—sometimes smaller than a grain of rice—that can be embedded in the item. The computer chip contains a transmitting antenna. The chip is called a RFID tag. When a device named a reader sends out radio waves, the tag sends back information it stores. The information within the tag can be modified or replaced. The distance of the radio waves used in RFID is important since it determines how far the tag can be from the reader.

There is also a chipless RFID tag which uses fibers instead of actual computer chips. The fibers would deflect back the radio waves sent by the reader. The pattern of deflected waves depends on the unique arrangement of the fiber, thus enable identification of the object connected with the tag. The advantage of this type of RFID tag is that it is less expensive and can work in various types of setting. The disadvantage is that it cannot hold much data. Some chips even require a clear path toward the reader.

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Digital Image Steganography

Steganography is a special encryption technique that is most often used to embed messages into images. Steganography software slightly alters the color of the pixels of a photo to form the message. Only the intended recipient with the same software can uncover the secret message. To regular human vision, the original image and the altered one are the same. The change of color is so minute that it is impossible to see.

However, there are efforts to find ways to detect steganography, especially by the authorities--terrorists often use steganography to communicate over the Internet. Major government organizations such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the National Security Agency, and a part of the Department of Defense are developing countermeasures to descramble the messages made via steganography. A study by the University of Michigan in 2001 examined photographs on eBay with high-tech equipments and programs, but they were unable to ascertain any traces of steganography on some 2 million photos observed. Thus, this show the difficulties that governments, not just in the United States but around the world, have to face to prevent threats posed by steganography technology. 

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