There is a time honored tradition of playing practical jokes on people each year on the first day of April.  Tricks range from mild to outrageous depending upon the nature of the trickster.  Fun is fun, but it can be taken way too far.  This year the tech world is ramping up to try and stop an April Fool's Day disaster in the form of a computer worm called Conficker.

The danger in all pranks, done on April Fool's Day or any other time of the year, is that the prankster will go too far and do something cruel, dangerous, or illegal.  What should be a funny joke for all to share can become a costly mistake for the prankster and the victims.  Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Make sure what you're doing isn't illegal.  Infecting computers with something akin to Conficker is illegal.  There's a bounty on the head of the creator and many legal difficulties in store if the creator is caught.  Remember to think things all the way through here.  Your prank might be completely harmless, but if you have to trespass on someone else's property to do it, you could face legal trouble.  Just so you know, plastering your friend's house with toilet paper is vandalism and against the law and could actually get you in trouble.
 
2. Make sure no one will get hurt.  This covers every possible aspect of that word "hurt."  If there's the chance that your joke will hurt someone physically, emotionally, financially, or in any other way, don’t do it!  Not only could it cause trouble for you, but you also don't want to hurt people.  That's not funny and that's a fast way to lose friends.

3. Don't set off a series of events you can't control.  Sometimes events are like dominos.  Knock one over and they all come tumbling down.  Be clear with the reveal of a prank quickly to avoid it spreading beyond your sphere of control. 

4. Protect yourself.  Come April 1st, take things with a grain of salt.  If something seems strange, check it out before acting upon it.

The number one priority for a lot of people this April Fool's should be to protect their computers from Conficker.  No one knows exactly what it will do, but millions of computers are infected.  The worm has been spreading since October with later versions that are far more virulent than the earlier ones.  Make sure your virus software is up to date, run thorough checks on all your computers, and make sure that your virus software is actively running and checking for updates.  Many companies are working round the clock to come up with a solution so keep yourself aware of changes as virus software companies and Microsoft announce them.  As the day approaches make sure you've got all your bases covered.

And have a great April Fool's tomorrow.  Just kidding.

Related Links:

• Read more about the Conficker worm.
• Find out how to protect yourself from the worm.

The more time people spend on computers, the more hazards are out there.  Viruses, malware, spyware and cookies are just some of the things that can download themselves to your computer with little or no warning.  You might think that this is only a risk for people who download files and visit questionable sites, but it can happen to anyone regardless of the way they spend their time online.

I was trying to find a replacement for a beloved, well-worn, discontinued stuffed animal.  I ended up searching online at all the popular venues such as eBay with no luck.  I finally did a search for the brand and make of the stuffed animal and the list came back with one item that actually looked promising.  I clicked on it, and when the site came up I was stunned to discover that it was a stuffed animal porn site!  I kid you not.  I closed the page as fast as I could but the images are still seared into my brain.   And, of course, sites just like this that trick you onto them often dump unwanted programs or data onto your computer.

If you've ever asked a website such as Yahoo! or Facebook to remember you and automatically log you on, then you have cookies.  While many seem to serve a useful function like saving you time on login, it is important to remember that they are still storing and accessing personal information on your computer.  Although cookies are often seen as a convenience, you should also be aware that someone accessing your computer can use your cookies to track where you go on the internet.

Spyware, in its most harmless versions, can be used to get your personal information, note your preferences and interests and then target you for spammers.  More harmful versions of spyware can grab more sensitive personal information like passwords and account numbers which can be used by identity thieves.

Malware can make your life difficult in a number of ways.  This is malicious software that can take a number of forms including viruses, Trojan horses, and spyware.  Using malware, people can steal your information, overwrite code so that when you make a payment it goes to someone other than the intended recipient, or use your computer to cover someone else's illegal activities.

It may take months to realize your computer is infected with malware or spyware.  One sign that you might have a problem is if your machine starts to run significantly slower.  Also, if you pull up a website and find that there are hyperlinks embedded in many keywords you might have a problem.  Pop-ups that continuously launch regardless of what website you're on can be caused by malware.  If your email program sends out a message to your entire address book that you didn't write, that's a sure sign that you have a problem.

There are several commercially-available products that can help safeguard and clean your computer.  Although popular antivirus software may claim to also take care of spyware and malware, it is often necessary to purchase a separate program designed specifically to deal with those problems.  When downloading software to handle these problems, be careful that the software itself doesn't contain any spyware or malware of its own.  To help protect against this, always download software from the maker, even when dealing with freeware.  Otherwise, you might find that some bit of malicious code is hitching a ride with the download.

The best thing you can do is be careful when you're surfing the net.  If you see something that doesn't seem right or your computer starts functioning in a different or impaired capacity, make sure you have it thoroughly checked.  Of course, with all things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so you can also consider installing a firewall program to protect you from information trying to dump itself onto your computer.

Related Links:

• Keep up to date on the latest threats to your system.
• Get the facts about disabling cookies and online privacy protection.
• Check out the government's internet crime complaint center.

I once worked in a law library where someone was downloading porn and filling up the hard drives of every computer on the library floor with it.  The login identification belonged to a school professor who faced some tough questions until they caught the real culprit—a night janitor who spent his time surfing instead of cleaning with a stolen login.  Can you say “fired?”  Actually there are two valuable lessons here.  First, don't use a work computer for personal reasons.  Second, don't be careless with your identification and login information.

Some companies are more lenient than others when it comes to what you do with a work computer, whether it's at your work station or a laptop you take home or on business trips.  Restrictions vary from company to company and violation of the policies can get you fired.  Knowing that, what can you do if you spend lunch at your desk and have an overwhelming need to play Scrabble on Facebook or shop for that last-minute birthday present on Amazon?

Know your company's internet and email policy.  Some employers allow employees to surf on their breaks, while some forbid it.  Ignorance of the rule is not going to get you a free pass.  Know what's expected and follow the rules.  Time limits and types of sites that may be accessed can vary even for companies that do allow some usage.  I've worked for companies that only allowed access to the company website and others that gave employees free reign as long as they were surfing on their own time.  You do not have a right of privacy for any of your activity on a work computer, including personal email and internet surfing.

Don't visit any sites you wouldn't want your boss catching you on.  This goes beyond the obvious such as porn or gambling sites.  Think twice before visiting political websites or the sites of competitors.  Job searches are also best done at home, especially if you don't want your boss knowing that you're thinking of leaving.  No matter how badly you want to check out your account on Monster, don't do it.  Many companies have the ability to track exactly where employees go online—and routinely do.  So, just because your boss may not be able to see your computer screen from where he's standing doesn't mean he can't see it from his own computer later on.

Don't disturb others in your office.  That means don't surf sites that require you to have the sound on.  You might think a YouTube video is hilarious but a coworker might find it offensive.  Avoid problems by not subjecting those around you to noise pollution that could distract them, upset them, or ultimately get you in trouble for some form of harassment.

Keep your private information private.  This goes not only for your computer login but also for any personal logins or credit card information you might use on websites.  You don't want someone to use your computer login to cover their own nefarious activities.  You also don't want to leave yourself logged on to a shopping website where someone can take advantage of you when you've stepped away for a minute.

In short, respect your company's rules, abide by them, and be considerate.  If your work doesn't suffer and coworkers aren't annoyed, then the chances of someone complaining about your computer use goes way down.

Next time: Internet Safety IV:  I Never Downloaded That!

Related Links:

• Get the facts about Employee Privacy in the Workplace.
• Know the dangers of internet and email usage for workers and employers.

Predators are everywhere in society.  Teachers, neighbors, relatives, and others can pose threats that seem hard to believe.  As parents are becoming more aware of the people who come into contact with their children, they need to make sure they also know who their kids are coming into contact with online.

Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are perfect for predators.  Many kids allow people they don't even know to access their information.  Unfortunately, what most people don't realize is just how much information about a particular person someone can collect this way.  If you're under eighteen, in order to create a Facebook account you have to put down the name of your school.  Although this is supposed to be a feature that protects kids, in reality revealing their school can put them in danger.  Now a predator has a picture, a name, and the school the child goes to.  This is more than enough information to target a particular kid and plan an assault or abduction.  Thanks to the search features, a predator can look for kids who go to a certain school or live within a certain town.

To make matters even worse, if the predator approaches the child, calls them by name, and seems to know them, it is highly likely that the child will believe whatever story they come up with.  "I work with your dad" or "I'm your friend Sharon's uncle, we met at her last birthday party".  A line like this can buy a predator time to get close enough to your child to harm them.

Aside from social networking sites, there are literally thousands of forums and chat rooms where a potential predator could meet your child.  Here's the thing that most don't realize: your child can be targeted even while visiting sites you might consider harmless.  For example, a twelve-year-old boy who is a fan of Star Trek may regularly post on one of the boards.  He can strike up a conversation with someone dangerous (who might even be posing as a child themselves).  After a few months, having developed a sense of familiarity, your child's new friend wants to meet, even for something innocuous like loaning or trading a cool book.  And, just like that, your sensible child with the excellent grades and the sweet demeanor is meeting a stranger at his school, the corner grocery, or even down the street.

So, as a parent, what can you do?  You can't keep your child off the internet.  There are simply too many places where they can get access.  Here's what you can do to help minimize your child's risk.

1.  Talk honestly with your kids about the dangers.  A blunt conversation can do far more to protect your child than your silence on the issue can.  If you know someone who has actually been targeted, this is the time to share the story to make it real to your kid.  Encourage them to come to you with any questions or concerns.

2.  Join the forums or social networking sites your kid spends time on and just observe.  Make it a condition of them joining.  Don't use this as an opportunity to be nosy, over-intrusive, or even social with your child.  Just keep tabs on their contacts and things that are posted on their site or by them elsewhere.  The goal is not for them to feel like your cramping their style, or that they have to find a way to sneak around you to talk privately with friends.  The goal is to keep an eye out for suspicious behavior by others.

3.  Encourage your child to discuss with you the interests they have and the people they interact with online and off.  Whatever you do, don't act like you're passing judgment.  As a parent, information is your greatest asset.  The more you know about your child, their friends, and activities, the faster you can identify potential threats.

Do what you can to make your child an equal partner in their protection.  It is better to have your child be aware of the danger and cautious than ignorant and rash.  Lots of people don't like to talk with their children about uncomfortable subjects like this because they don't want to distress them.  But the odds of your child getting at least propositioned on line are higher than you might think.  Preparing them to deal with that emotionally, and to protect themselves from those who might harm them, could save them a lot more distress than ignoring the problem would.

Up next: Internet Safety III: Internet and the Workplace

Related Links:

• Get information on the Children's Internet Protection Act.
• Look up sex offenders in your area with the national sex offender registry.

Computer safety, and particularly internet safety, is a huge issue that only becomes more complex as more and more people do more online.  There are several dangers that need to be avoided and I'll be talking about these in the next several posts.  The first one is identity theft.

The more we shop online or join social networking sites, the more we put our personal information out there.  Details as seemingly harmless as birth date or high school attended can be weapons in the hands of a thief and can help him steal your identity.  That said, there are some things you can do to protect yourself.

Avoid giving out too much information.  This goes for any site you visit.  If personal details are required of you, question why and what will be done to protect your privacy and security.

Only shop with retailers you trust.  Big name retailers such as Barnes and Noble have a lot to lose.  They will work harder to protect your security and their business.

Check with the Better Business Bureau.  If you have to buy something online from an unfamiliar retailer, see what other consumers and the Better Business Bureau have to say about them.  I know more than one person who has purchased a hard-to-find item online only to discover six weeks later that not only would they never see it, but also that the company they bought it from had disappeared.

Only make purchases on secure websites.  You should see an icon of a little padlock or some other indication at the bottom of your browser window when you are on a secure site.  The information you are sending is coded in such a way that it makes it harder to steal.

Buy a prepaid credit card.  Many grocery stores have kiosks that allow you to convert your coins to a cash voucher or load the money onto a prepaid credit card.  If you obtain one of these cards you can then control how much money is on the card and shop accordingly.  This way, if an identity thief grabs the credit card information, they won't spend all your money, empty your bank account, or destroy your credit.

If given the choice, don't set up an account that stores your payment information.  Not every site allows you to do this, but whenever possible make sure that the site does not store your payment information for return visits. 

Protect your account if you have one.  If you do have to set up an account and your personal information is kept on file, do what you can to protect it.  This includes changing your password frequently, never giving it out to anybody, and never leaving yourself logged in (or allowing the site to log you in automatically when you visit).  Coworkers, friends, and relatives might enjoy using your Ebay or Amazon account, but you'll end up footing the bill.

As with everything you do with your computer, think before you click.  With a few safety precautions, you can help protect your financial security.

Next Up:  Internet Safety II: Kids and Predators

Related Links:

• Check out a business with the Better Business Bureau.
• Find out more about minimizing your risk of identity theft.