Re: I have Noticed

Eileen it depends on how much memory you have spare.

A cookie is used by websites to check how many people use it and your computer uses cookies as a quick search for the websites that you re-visit. I clean my cookies monthly and to be honest with broadband you do not see much difference in the time it takes to go to your favourite websites when you revisit them after cleaning.

If you have an external Hard drive where you keep your pictures, music, documents etc then the computer will have ample memory to store cookies.

Think of your computer as a gossiping old machine, when you use it for browsing it stores the places that you visit for future reference so that, if someone else used your computer they can trace all the places that you visit.

Likewise with Passwords, keeping your passwords on your computer is OK for you but if someone else used or Hacked your computer the computer says, hey! look at these password do you want to use them?

Moral:- dont store on your computer things that you want kept private.

Re: I have Noticed

What about online banking Antibrown? How safe is that?

Re: I have Noticed

Ah! The $64000000 question.
How long is a piece of string, dont answer that there is a mathematical answer to it. lol

Banking on line is as safe as you and your bank make it.

Most big banks these days are security conscious and are always updating their security.
HSBC have just introduced a 'Personal' device for you to use which produces random password numbers. You use a PIN to activate it and it produces a number which you enter when you log onto your bank account, (pretty safe until hackers find a way round it).

The safest that you can get is to arrange with you bank the limit of any amount that you will possibly withdraw, anything over that amount then ask the bank to contact you before the transaction goes through, this way if someone does get your details then they will only get your set limit at most and not clear you out.

From your point of security you need antivirus, a must anyway if you go onto the internet, a Firewall, the latest updates for your operating system and a change of Password every two months.

I once got hit due to the banks fault but fortuately they phoned me to ask if I was transfering £4000 pound to a new account. A change of security details then took place and I am pleased to say that the bank updated their security.

Stay safe and dont leave passwords etc on your computer.

If they are numbers hide them in telephone numbers but better still have a mixture of capital and lower case letters and numbers with the odd * % ? thrown in. ie, JoeBloggs1947%9&33*321.

Re: I have Noticed

Thank you, I'm nervous because my credit card number was used - without it ever leaving my possession... Now I'm even more distrustful.

I have all the security you advised.

Re: I have Noticed

So much good advice here, I will be taking it in more soon.
For what I know of the workings of my computer could basically fit in a little corner, as long as I get to where I am going then I am ok, but if there is a problem I look at my computer like this >> <<
Thankyou for the suggestions and all that you have added Antibrown, and I like how you reply in plain english, not all the medical jargon.

Re: I have Noticed

I've been heavily involved with personal computer since they invented the things. I don't clear history of cookies. I do defrag about every 6 months. Computers are marvelous tools. They can make your life fuller and easier. I shop online and do all my banking online. I only had one security issue and caught the culprit because I had online banking information as well as fraud protection. I lost nothing. I have two powerful desktops, one PC and my new Imac. I use my iPad to carry around a ton on information such as books, photos & music. The ipad's power has caused me to sell both my laptops.

Re: I have Noticed

I feel more confident then to start banking and shopping online, it would make things a bit easier for me.

Re: I have Noticed

I found this when I searched through some of my notes.
I did write it a couple of years ago but believe it still holds good today.

If it will help, there are two types of cookie that you will encounter. The Session cookies are only temporary and are erased automatically when you close your Browser.

The Persistent or stored cookies will remain on your hard drive until they expire or you erase them yourself. This type of cookie recognises that you've visited a site before.

Cookies cannot create a virus or harvest any, what they will do is help keep your online transactions secure. This is done by storing your sign in details temporarily using a session cookie and enable you to access previously saved quotations.
They should also automatically sign you out of the service after 10 minutes of inactivity for security purposes.

To make life easier you may choose to have your username saved on your computer so that you don't have to enter it every time you use a service, forums like this often do.
By selecting the option 'Remember my username', your username will be automatically entered every time you access the service. In order for the site to remember your username, they need to store it on your computer using a cookie.

It goes without saying that one must never use that facility on a public computer.

Re: I have Noticed

I have heard about these cookies, but never explained as well as you have, it's amazing how just a bit of extra time can help so many in the understanding of so much, it's certainly helped me.
Thankyou for adding it again then Hammer.

Re: I have Noticed

As to security, I was wondering what other folk use. For anti-virus I use AVG, and anti-spyware I use Superantispyware. My AVG runs every day, and I run my Superaintispyware at least once a month.

I also delete my browsing history regularly, just in case any of the internet sites are a bit dodgy, although I don't go onto "dodgy" websites that are likely to contain viruses.

And I most definitely do not use Facebook.