Safety First - Protecting your devices from online attacks.

Those who own a computer, smart phone, or tablet likely understand the importance of protecting their favorite digital device - and perhaps more important, the information that resides on it - but only a third of us are actually taking the proper precautions to do so. Our PCs, Macs and mobile devices today house a larger number of valuable digital assets - everything from photos and music to personal and financial data. Losing these assets can be devastating, given the money and time we invest in acquiring them. Also, a growing abundance of cyber-criminal activity, perpetrated by people out to pilfer sensitive information like credit card, bank account and Social Security numbers, with the goal of stealing your identity for financial gain. Potentially damaging software is infecting mobile devices through websites or downloaded apps that might contain hidden files, on top of the many voice-, email- and text-based scams.
The following is a short checklist that should help you protect your devices, your information and your family.

Back up your data.
Back up your important files on a regular basis just in case they're compromised due to a malware attack, theft, fire or flood, or hardware malfunction. For your computer, pick up an external hard drive and make a backup of your irreplaceable digital photos and camcorder footage, documents, important emails, contacts, calender appointments, Web bookmarks and so forth. To back up info on your smartphone or tablet, synchronize your device with your computer via USB cable or back up data to an online "cloud" service where it can be easily retrieved, if needed.

Use anti-malware programs.
Invest in good anti-malware software, which includes antivirus and anti-spyware tools, and a two-way firewall. Updates are usually handled automatically and pushed to your device, which will protect you from the latest threats as soon as they're identified.

Be safe and sensible.
Along with regular backups, this includes using strong passwords, downloading only from trusted resources and not leaving your devices unattended. Also, don't be tempted to act on email or text messages that ask you to reveal personal or financial information - they are likely a "phishing" attempt from a scam artist. Rather than placing an Internet-connected computer in a child's room, keep it in a central location in the home, such as a kitchen, family room or any other highly trafficked area. Kids can feel independent while surfing online but not be "alone." Remind them to never give out their address, phone number or other personal information, such as where they go to school - or upload and photos that might reveal this info. This applies to social networking sites (such as Facebook), instant messaging programs, chat rooms, and emails.

Limit Tracking.
To limit tracking, enable your browser's privacy setting, which prevents websites from installing "cookies" that can monitor your movements. See the browser's "Help" menu for details. Use different passwords for sites that require them, and change them every few months.