La Piazza Blog - PANDA SECURITY SUPPORT

Posted by Leyre August 19, 2009

The first thing you must do in order to protect your computer and data is to create a safe password, especially in these days, with the prominence of social networks. People tend to use easy-to-remember passwords, but this is a risk, as hackers can then easily access your confidential information. It is common sense, or would you leave the door of your car unlocked just because it is easier to open it? You wouldn´t, right? Same happens with password safety. Here go a  few useful tips.

DONT´s when creating a password

1. Never use passwords that can be found in a dictionary. They can be cracked with clever - and even not-so-clever - password hacking programs.
2. Never use password containing less than 8-characters long. The shorter the password is, the easier it gets to guess it.
3. Never place numbers after the password if the password Word can be found in a dictionary. It is best to insert numbers and special characters in between a word or replace some of the letters by special characters, for example,  Charles – Ch@rlE$
   This is a little safer.
4. Your cat’s name is not unique. Leave it alone Ditto your name, your birthday, your mum’s maiden name or your birthday.

DO´s when creating  a strong password

1. If you want to have a password which is easy to remember but hard to guess, memorize a sentence. Then, use the initial of each of the words of the sentence as the password. Then add a final point or a special character  (!, @, #, $, %, ^, &, *) at the end, followed by two numbers and a capital letter.For example: April is the month of rain - ( Aitmor@05 )
2. Always use a password that is between 8-14 characters, minimum 8.
3. Combine capital and lower case letters in your password.
4. And if you do need to write it down, try not to do it on a piece of paper entitled “Internet Banking Passwords”
5. Change your password every 30 days.
6. Make sure the user name and password are different

For more information, check out PandaLab´s blog post on Social networking, Passwords and privacy and watch the following video to quickly review the most important tips!!

What do you think about this article? Do you want to share your experiences with us? We would love to hear from you!!

Posted by Leyre, August 13th, 2009

Now that we are on holiday with the kids, it is a great opportunity to teach them how to play online in a safe way, as the risks of using the Internet are on the increase, especially for young people, the most vulnerable. The Web can quickly turn from a being a source of entertainment to a serious problem if children are not alert to the dangers. At Panda, we are socially responsible and we recognise and support projects that contribute to the secure use of new technologies, especially for children.

The dangers in instant messaging, email, social networks etc. can be prevented by following a simple set of guidelines that we want to share with you:

• Speak to your children.
• Learn yourself, and pass the knowledge on to your children.
• Set firm rules for using the Internet.
• Forbid children from giving out confidential information.
• Teach your children to be wary of appearances.
• Install an effective security solution.  The Parental Control feature lets children use the Internet safely by restricting access to inappropriate Web content. Check the latest Panda Internet Security 2010 and Panda Global Protection 2010, they both feature it!

Check Panda Security´s Kids on the Web campaign for detailed information.

On the other hand, cell phones are now widely used by children and adolescents. The risks, therefore, that they face in this respect are similar to those commented above concerning PCs, especially what regards instant messaging services (chatrooms) and spam, in cases related to pornography.

So, restrict the use of mobile phones which include risk features only to older children and give them advise on how to make a safe use of their cell phone.

Once you set limits to your children, tell them about the risks of going online, and teach them how to handle uncomfortable situations, together you can create a fun and safe environment for your children online.

So now, time to enjoy yourselves, adults and kids!! Check out these fun sites and have a super time!

Discovery Channel for Kids
Cartoon Networks
Disney Channel International site
Pocoyo

Share with us other sites you and your children play safely online ¡¡