Candy Corn Challenge
Thanks for participating in The Candy Corn Challenge.
We have some good news and some bad news for you.
Let’s start with the “bad” news first
There is no Candy Corn Challenge game for you to download.
So what’s the good news?
When you began to enter your personal information on the previous page, it didn't fall straight into the hands on an online crook looking to steal your identity, automatically infect your computerG with a virusG capable of wiping out your hard drive or commandeer your computer for other nefarious purposes. Unfortunately, this happens more often than you might think.
So, why would we do this?
We are the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSAG), a collaborative effort among experts in the security, non-profit, academic and government fields focused on teaching consumers, small businesses and the education community about InternetG security issues.
We want to encourage all Internet users to put their security and safety first. As you can see in the address bar of your Web browserG, you are now on our Web site: staysafeonline.org.
Every day, Internet users like you are lured by cyber criminals via legitimate-looking emails, advertisements and Web sites to give up sensitive personal information such as a home address, social security number or user name and passwordG, all prime targets for criminals looking to steal your identity or raid your bank accounts. . We know that it can be hard to tell what's real and what's not in the cyber world. We are here to help.
How can you protect yourself?
Internet crime may be complicated, but protecting yourself isn't. You don't need to be a computer genius and you don't have to spend a lot of money. You just need to know about the three "Ps" and the three "Ws".
Three Protections (The Three Ps)
Keep your defenses up.
Every computer should be equipped with anti-virus, anti-spywareG and firewallG software. Many vendors provide all three in an easy-to-use and easy-to-install package. Security software companies diligently identify new threats and develop protections against them. Take advantage of their efforts to protect you by keeping your software up to date. Always make sure your protections are set to automatically update. Keep your operating system up to date with automatic updates as well.
WWWs
At the NCSA, WWW means something different. We focus on the three questions you should always ask yourself prior to providing personal information on a Website:
- Who is asking for it?
- What would they use that information for?
- Why would they need that information?
If you were shopping at local grocery store and at check out you were asked for your home address and Social Security number, it would be second nature to ask these three questions and base your decision on your comfort level with the answers. On the Internet, you need to be every bit as cautious.
For more information on the safest ways you can use the Internet to its fullest, please use our Web site as a resource: www.staysafeonline.org.
Additional resources for you to use include:
Federal Trade Commission
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/filing-a-report.html
United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT)
http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/