Use these tips to help make the time you spend on Lumentrades.com safe and secure.
What should you be aware of when it comes to online safety? First, follow these guidelines:
Email can be a source of danger. Many Internet scams today involve email messages that appear to come from a trusted source, but are not trustworthy. Additionally, email attachments can be harmful because they can contain viruses.
The following can be indications that an email is fake:
Here are some ways to protect yourself from email fraud:
To find out more about email fraud and phishing, go to How to spot phishing, under Know the threats.
Online investors should be aware of stock spam, part of a common Internet fraud involving a "pump and dump" scheme. In other words, a company might be promoted and recommended as the latest hot stock in chat rooms, supposedly unbiased newsletters, or even in its own press releases. Unwitting investors purchase the stock, creating high demand and inflating its price. Then those who are behind the scheme sell their shares at the peak, stop the hype, and the stock price plummets-causing regular investors to lose money.
To protect yourself, always do your research before you invest:
If you receive a stock spam email you can file a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov. You probably only receive an auto-reply from them, but they do take complaints seriously and may be acting on yours behind the scenes.
Choosing your password well and keeping it a secret can be key steps to safeguarding all of your online transactions. To create a password that is more difficult to guess, use a combination of letters and numbers for passwords you create (i.e. 4funcallC3po, Il9vemyd1g). Certain passwords are easier to compromise, so try to avoid common pitfalls by creating secure passwords:
Make sure you only access personal information through Web sites that use Secure Sockets Layers (SSL). A Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is an additional layer of security that many sites use. You can check whether the site you are on has an SSL in effect by checking for two things:
If you get a pop-up message indicating a problem with a site’s Security Certificate, do not proceed. The Web site should be secured with a digital certificate, which verifies you’re at a legitimate website and not a "spoofed" site. If your browser displays a message box like the one below, you’re not guaranteed a secure connection.
Make sure you only access personal information through Web sites that use Secure Sockets Layers (SSL). A Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is an additional layer of security that many sites use. You can check whether the site you are on has an SSL in effect by checking for two things:
If you get a pop-up message indicating a problem with a site’s Security Certificate, do not proceed. The Web site should be secured with a digital certificate, which verifies you’re at a legitimate website and not a "spoofed" site. If your browser displays a message box like the one below, you’re not guaranteed a secure connection.
Protect your home computer against new viruses or other attacks with anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and configure all software for automatic updates. The anti-virus and anti-spyware software included in operating systems require frequent updates to keep pace with new risks. Security software included with new computers generally requires a subscription for protection to continue. Need to upgrade your security products? See our offerings.
Use the latest version of your web browser. Strong encryption protects your information as it travels over the Internet. Older web browsers may not support the highest strength 128-bit encryption.
Do not allow software to be loaded on your computer if you’re not completely familiar with it. If you share your PC with anyone, including your children, make sure they know the rules for downloading and installing software.
Install a hardware- or software-based firewall. A firewall controls how information moves between a computer and a network to help ensure that only legitimate traffic takes place, and hides the presence of computers behind it to make it more difficult for potential intruders to find them.
Use of a wireless network presents several security concerns. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is the standard encryption that wireless devices use. If your wireless network supports WPA or WPA2 you should select that option rather than WEP.
Because this encryption can be breached, make sure you take these steps:
Only access personal information through Web sites that use Secure Sockets Layers (SSL).
If you doubt the security of an open wireless network, don't use it-shut off wireless connectivity or remove the wireless network card. If you leave your computer unattended, disable the wireless mode to prohibit networks that you didn't create from using your wireless software.