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•Use a firewall program, especially if you use a high-speed Internet connection that leaves your computer connected to Internet 24 hours a day. The firewall program will allow you to stop uninvited access to your computer. Without it, hackers can take over your computer, access personal information stored on it, or use it to commit other crimes.
•Use a secure browser - software that encrypts or scrambles information you send over Internet -to guard your online transactions. When submitting information, look for "lock" icon on browser's status bar to be sure your information is secure during transmission.
•Try not to store financial information on your laptop unless absolutely necessary. If you do, use a strong password a combination of letters (upper and lower case), numbers and symbols. Don't use an automatic log-in feature that saves your user name and password, and always log off when you're finished. That way, if your laptop is stolen, it's harder for a thief to access your personal information.
•Before you dispose of a computer, delete all personal information it stored. Deleting files using keyboard or mouse commands or reformatting your hard drive may not be enough because files may stay on computer's hard drive, where they may be retrieved easily. Use a "wipe" utility program to overwrite entire hard drive.
You may freely reprint this article provided author's biography remains intact:
John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available loans via the www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.