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There are all kinds of scams, viruses and other dangers out in the web. Take these simple steps to protect your computer and personal information.

<!-- Notes *Once upon a time Scoobidiver wrote a section called "How can I improve my privacy and security?" in part of a revision to the private browsing article. We talked about basing a new article on this info https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/forums/knowledge-base-articles/704973 - Let's do that. *We should limit the scope of the article to the top sane, easy, common sense things you can do. We should not go into full-paranoid, I-need-to-disappear-from-the-grid-mode. --> There are all kinds of scams, viruses and other dangers out in the web. Here are simple steps you can take to protect your computer and personal information. __TOC__ =Keep your software and operating system up-to-date= Software updates contain vulnerability patches that protect your computer and personal information. *'''Update Firefox:''' {for win,linux}Click the menu button [[Image:New Fx Menu]], click help [[Image:Help-29]] and select {menu About Firefox}.{/for}{for mac}On the menu bar, click the {menu Firefox} menu and select {menu About Firefox}.{/for} See [[Update Firefox to the latest version ]] for details. *'''Update your plugins:''' Update any [[Use plugins to play audio, video, games and more|plugins]] that are out of date. *'''{for win}Update Windows{/for}{for mac}Update OS X{/for}{for linux}Update your system{/for}:''' Make sure you have all of the latest security and stability fixes. {for win}Go to the {menu Start} menu, select {menu All Programs} and then {menu Windows Update}.{/for}{for mac}Go to the {menu Apple} menu and select {menu Software Update...}.{/for}{for linux}Go to the {menu System} menu, down to {menu Administration} and select {menu Update Manager}.{/for} =Check your Firefox settings= Firefox has many ways to help you stay safe on the web: *[[How do I tell if my connection to a website is secure?]] *[[Disable third-party cookies in Firefox to stop some types of tracking by advertisers]] *[[Where are my logins stored?]] * There are also a lot of [https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/extensions/privacy-security/ Firefox extensions] that may be helpful. =Follow best practices to protect yourself online= Here are some handy tips to protect yourself: * '''[[Create secure passwords to keep your identity safe|Create secure passwords to keep your identity safe]].''' * '''Remember that YOU decide what information about yourself to reveal, when, why, and to whom:''' Don't give out personally-identifiable information too easily; set your privacy settings in your social networking account; beware of sites that offer some sort of reward or prize in exchange for your contact information or other personal details. * '''Only download Firefox (and other software) from the legitimate channels:''' Some websites may contain popups advising you to download or update Firefox. These popups are generally false and may direct you to download Firefox from an unofficial source. Downloading software from third-party sources is risky and could result in the installation of a modified version of Firefox containing viruses or other malicious code. You should only download Firefox from [https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/all/ the official Mozilla website]. * '''Be conscious of Internet security:''' Never submit a credit card number or other highly sensitive personal information without first making sure your connection is [[How do I tell if my connection to a website is secure?|secure]]; [[Is my Firefox problem a result of malware|be on the lookout for "spyware"]]; [[Choosing More Secure Passwords|use secure passwords]] and [[Protecting stored passwords using a master password|protect them with a master password]]. * '''Keep a "clean" e-mail address''': Use some pseudonymous or simply alternate address, and keep your main or preferred address only on small, members-only lists and with known, trusted individuals. * '''Do not reply to spammers, for any reason.''' * '''Realize you may be monitored at work:''' Avoid sending highly personal e-mail to mailing lists, and keep sensitive files on your home computer. * '''Be conscious of home computer security:''' Turn off your computer when you are not using your Internet connection; secure your Wi-Fi network with a strong encryption (WPA or WPA2); use a [[Firewalls|firewall]]. * '''Examine privacy policies and seals:''' Does the site provide offline contact information? Does the site have a prominently-posted privacy policy? If so, what does it say? Do you have a reason to believe it? Have you ever heard of this company? What is their reputation? And are they backing up their privacy statement with a seal program? If you see a seal, is it real? Some sites allow their visitors to check these seals by clicking on them to show their authenticity. =More resources= * [https://www.eff.org/wp/effs-top-12-ways-protect-your-online-privacy EFF's Top 12 Ways to Protect Your Online Privacy] * [https://www.google.com/safetycenter/everyone/start/ Google Safety Center - Manage your privacy and security] * [http://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca/index-eng.aspx Get Cyber Safe] * [http://lifehacker.com/5576927/how-to-stay-safe-on-public-wi+fi-networks How to Stay Safe on Public Wi-Fi Networks] * [http://www.onguardonline.gov/articles/0014-tips-using-public-wi-fi-networks Tips for Using Public Wi-Fi Networks] * [http://mashable.com/2012/10/09/ecommerce-security-tips/ How to Stay Safe on Ecommerce Sites]