Keeping Safe While Using Public Computers

With the average amount of time that each person spends on the computer increasing dramatically, it is more important than ever to remain aware of cybercrimes. Not only do these crimes happen at an astonishing rate, even a single slip up by a computer user could mean vital information that is stolen forever. This can be especially difficult for those that need to use public computers but are unsure of the proper steps to take in order to protect themselves and their information.

In areas in which the use of public computers is common, care should be taken when anyone can see the screen or keyboard of the computer. This includes the input of passwords or what websites are visited, such as banking institutions. Individuals may frequent these locations in order to catch a glimpse of the keyboard or display to discover passwords or other important personal information.

Every computer that runs a current version of windows always comes with a helpful program called on-screen keyboard. This can be found under all programs' and it will place a keyboard on the screen in which the mouse can be used to enter the ID and password. This will reduce the chance of someone using a keylogger to discover your information.

The final step is to bring all important information or software with external hard drives, double layer DVDs, or any other data storage products. This will reduce the chance of any downloaded information or opened files being left behind on the computer.

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