Monroe Chat

The easiest, simplest answer is to be a "Hard Target"... What that means is:
--) Keep your computer patched at all times (Run windows Update) for example every time you log on, most of the times there isn't an update... But when there is it lessens your Window Of Exposure significantly. 0-Day exploits (hacks/vulnerabilities that are currently NOT patched because they are just recently discovered) are often turned into access points by worms and viruses... BTW, the difference between a worm and a virus is that a virus requires human intervention to propogate...
--) Run Antivirus software and keep it up to date (very important)... Same theories as above
--) Have a firewall (turn on windows firewall if nothing else)... most home routers have firewalls installed-- Use it!!
--) Utilize free products (that have been verified, there's a lot of fake antivirus and stuff out there) that bolster security... I highly recommend Secunia PSI Pro (it's free) and it keeps an eye on your system and tells you what vulnerabilities are currently available on your system and whether there's a patch or not... works for programs, too... Get it and install it...
ALSO
--) I use Mozilla Firefox as my browser and I keep it up-to-date... I also have installed 'NoScript' into the browser which will not allow web site scripts (javascript, perl scripts, modules, plug-ins, etc) to run unless you allow them.. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it keeps things safe for you... Sites like Google that run scripts you can safely allow to run, but if you're on a site you're not familiar with then you'd not run them (trial and error, you'll figure it out)... the easiest way to tell if you need to run a script is if your web page doesn't display properly and you allow the scripts one by one until it looks ok...

--) Use STRONG Passwords!!! there are huge password dictionaries that can be loaded into brute force tools and ran against your accounts (or even your computer if someone has access to it) in minutes or hours at most... If you run a longer, more complex password, you'll deter that attack and it could take years to break.... for example, a password of C1aireB@er68!! is much stronger and will take months to break vice Clairebear which would take less than 10 minutes with good dictionaries loaded... Personally, on my email accounts I run a 14 character, complex password that will take years to crack... I keep stuff in my email that is both personally and financially revealing, so I don't want someone to take it over...
--) Do you have "Password Recovery" questions set? could someone figure them out from info on FB or emails from you or publicly available google cached info?? for example, "where did you go to school at 14", "what was your first pet's name" "What's your Dad's middle name", What's your mom's Maiden name" can all be found pretty quickly online or by even social Engineering you when talking to you... Unbelievable, eh?? Can't crack my 14 character password, but if my password recovery is too easy, they can get it that way... In my password recoevery questions, I have my own questions made up (where I can) and I use weird answers like "what was your first pets name?" and my answer would be "none" or "The Bee Gees"... you'll have to remember the answers you use (don't email them to yourself unless you use another account and don't be too obvious "hey, here's my hrhpatey password recovery answers" in the mail... Clear as mud???
--) Don't put too much private info onto Social Media Sites (FB, MySpace, Twitter, etc. etc. etc)... It can and WILL be used against you at some point... you may want your friends to see certain things, but that perv that is cyberstalking people will see it too.... Keep that in mind and teach your kids... I recommend putting keystroke sniffing software on your kids' PC's when they're a little older... You want to know who they're talking to and what they're saying... I did this for years with my kids and never called them on it, but had timely discussions about certain subjects when I felt they were in the danger area (don't give away too much info in the Intenet was the subject when I saw Brianna telling people her address when she was 12 in a chat room)... for example...
--) Be aware of new technology and new threats... Do you have an iPhone? Know someone that does?? Did you know the default password is "Alpine" and it's set on all iPhones?? Google it... Makes for interesting party conversation... Do you have blueTooth turned on for your phone?? Ask Paris Hilton about getting her phone hacked because of having BlueTooth turned on... People don't stay educated about the technology out there, they just trust it and use it and put private info into--- but bad people are looking to steal that data and compromise your gadgets at all times... Be aware...
--) Make backups of critical, important data... Have multiple email accounts that you can store different stuff on (I use 4 main accounts, 1 for friends, 3 for data storage)... Or on CD roms or DVD roms... Or an extra hard drive... but make data backups for when your box DOES get virus infected and you have to rebuild... Nothing is as irreplacable as pictures, make sure they're backed up, too...
--) Encrypt your data where possible!!!!! Use https://mail.google.... vie http://mail.google... That's because the S stands for SECURE... you can encrypt all the data on your laptop with a program called "Bitlocker", so if someone DOES hack you, they can't really get anything... you'll need a pretty high speed computer to run it, though, so maybe you need to ask Santa for a new PC??? heh heh...