Announcement PSA: Internet Security & Sharing Personal Info

Flayzian said:
I think most people on this forum are mature and aware but for those who aren't, just be wary, you can speak to anybody you want just don't give personal details that could identify you.
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Unless they ask nicely and say please :D ....... Jk :laugh: --> "most people on this forum are mature" xD''' :p
 
I think some people are missing the boat on what I wrote - or are just choosing to be amusing on a serious subject.

It's important that everyone is aware of the trouble one can get themselves into if they hand over their information to the wrong person - especially if it's in plaintext in a PM somewhere. Once an attacker has enough information they can easily start searching your name and finding your friends and relatives. Depending if money was involved or not, you could also be facing a balance of $0 in your bank account and have to file an identity theft report.

This stuff is serious. There's a time and place for memes and jokes, but due to recent events I felt the need to address this topic. Not pointing fingers at anyone in particular, but I wanted to clarify the intent of this thread.
 
ArabellaDrummond said:
Thanks for posting that @John Foulroberts, i remember one experience sometime ago where a user on a Facebook group posted a suspicious link. Me being uncertain went ahead and checked out the link and when it became clear it was a fake facebook website immediately changed my email and all that important info for my FB account after deleting the entire post the link was on and posted on that same group warning everyone to avoid such stuff in the future.

Scary moment for sure.
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OMG yes that would of scared me as well, for sure
 
On a lower scale than identity theft, but equally terrifying, before potco shut down I do remember quite a few female users including some members of this forum, clicking random links or whatever it was but the person (predator in my opinion) was taking pictures and watching them through their own web cams. This topic isn't remotely supposed to be humorous... It's about informing our public to keep you all safe... No matter who the person is, sharing personal information 9 times out of 10 backfires...be smart, don't be sorry, just be careful
 
Johnny Mak said:
On a lower scale than identity theft, but equally terrifying, before potco shut down I do remember quite a few female users including some members of this forum, clicking random links or whatever it was but the person (predator in my opinion) was taking pictures and watching them through their own web cams. This topic isn't remotely supposed to be humorous... It's about informing our public to keep you all safe... No matter who the person is, sharing personal information 9 times out of 10 backfires...be smart, don't be sorry, just be careful
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Better safe than sorry!
 
John Foulroberts said:
Hey, everyone. I just wanted to address a topic of importance that I feel needs to be emphasized as of late.

With the Internet being a prevalent source of communication for many, sometimes individuals overstep their bounds and communicate inappropriately with the intent of capturing others' personal details for their own malicious usage. These people take advantage of those who are unwary and uneducated for two purposes: to create a profit and to benefit themselves in some other way - be it satisfaction, creating a scheme, or anything along those lines.

I'd like to remind everyone to always be cautious on the Internet. If someone requests your personal information such as your full name, address, and phone number, you need to be cautious. Even if you've been talking to this person for months on the Internet and they seem like a trustworthy individual, they can easily be a fraud and only want your personal information to negatively affect you somehow.

Probably the only time where it is acceptable to input extremely personal details into a computer is through some means of data transport that is encrypted with SSL/TLS (such as websites having the green "lock" and https in the URL). Otherwise, you should be skeptical and refuse to give your information.

As someone with a background in IT, I've previously compiled a guide on Internet security that can be found by clicking here. I encourage you all to review this write-up and educate yourselves about the importance of Internet security, social engineering, and the ways that attackers/malicious individuals try to get a hold of your personal data for their own benefit. By being familiar with these topics, you thwart and discourage attackers from gaining what they desire.

Be skeptical; be stubborn; be inquisitive; and most of all, be informed.

JFR
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Well said John! You only need to watch a couple of episodes of Dr Phil and those poor women who have sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to Nigeria (scams that everyone already knows about for 20 years) to understand how gullible the human heart can be in the hands of manipulative without principles criminals. (Quote from "O Brother Where Art Thou": “It's a fool that looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart.”)
View: https://youtu.be/lYasyRjLbFU


We all need reminding now and then, here it feels "like home" and there in lies the risk. Meanwhile we must not let these things turn into paranoia because largely you would have to give a lot of specific details for it to be of any real risk and if you are a target of a professional hacker you may not need to give any details.

So heads up but most people are just what they seem to be, thank goodness (apart from the ones that smile are friendly and then mug you... been there)

Good will to all mankind, love, peace and joy... Merry Christmas!:tree:
:pirate ship:
 
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1password and other password management program are a bad idea due to the fact the they all sync to server or dropbox
so if the server or dropbox account is compromised you password are all out in open so thats fact one fact two get good
anti virus software bitdeffender avast malwarebyte and norton are all good choices three if your computer gets infected with tons of viruses wipe the system and reinstall your copy of windows mac linix unix whatever you run dont click on random ads on side of sites they can infect your computer also dont click any randoms link with out knowing what it is
thats it really just be careful when online
 
Very well said John. I think it's extremely important to practice internet safety, especially right now. With Beta Keys being all the rage as everyone tries to secure their place in the game, some players will be willing to do anything to get their hands on one. I know it's been said before in threads pertaining specifically to beta keys, but I'll say it again here. If someone offers to sell you a beta key DO NOT FALL FOR IT. Trust me, that being able to play whenever you want is NOT worth losing your personal info. People who have your personal information, and malicious intent can and will ruin your life. They could open loans. open credit cards, and all sorts of other things that could ruin your credit and life. It's just not worth it folks.
 
I agree completely, one can never be too safe when on the internet. AdBlocker can get rid of ads, and thus help in preventing some viruses obtained through those ads.
My advice is to never fully trust someone on the internet that you don't know in real life. If they say that they're this age, they could be so much older than that and trying to scam people. Always harbor some sort of suspicion in the back of your mind that says "This person may not really be who he/she says they are." Don't think about it to the point of paranoia, but just be cautious, and don't be dumb with your personal information. One of the best ways to prevent people from getting into your computer and getting your passwords/usernames is instead of having it saved somewhere on the computer, have it written down. It may sound old fashioned, but if that person is already in your computer, then nothing that you have on it is safe, they can access almost whatever they want. If you have them written down, the person cannot see what passwords/usernames you use.
 
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