Internet Safety
Written By Richeggbert7
Special Thanks To: Flames , -Nacho Ninja- , King Of Quests, Stobbo, Teh Monarch, Flumzy and I Lyk Toast

Good internet safety knowledge is a key skill to making sure you have the best time possible on the net. This guide will help you understand how to avoid viruses, popups, ID thieves, and how to keep your personal details safe.
Viruses ( e.g. Trojans, key loggers, ram stealers, site trackers) can harm your computer in extraordinary ways, as well as stealing your RuneScape and Sal's passwords! Remember to always keep your firewall set to secure.
_____________________________________


Section One - Viruses

Summary

Viruses are a huge threat for Windows users. If you don't have any anti-virus software installed, chances are you will get a virus sometime. They come in all shapes and forms. Viruses get onto your computer via downloading, mainly P2P file sharing. Mac users are almost invincible to viruses as most virus coders code for Windows, rather than Mac.

Actions

What do viruses do? Well, as explained in the introduction, they can ruin your computer, and the worst, totally destroy it. If you are counting on your monitor working, your hard drive staying clean, and your keyboard staying the right way round, then you should look out for viruses.

Prevention




When downloading, always make sure you are downloading for a trusted source, and never from a site you just happen to come across. Also, unless the material owner has given you permission to download, it is ILLEGAL. Major threats can be found in P2P file sharing sites / programs like Lime Wire, Frost Wire etc. NEVER download emoticons for Instant Messengers, as they usually contain viruses, as well as programs claiming to improve your RuneScape character. As these certainly WILL contain a Key Logger. We also recommend you get a virus checker, we have formed a list of the best. Remember, only ever have one Anti-Virus, as they will conflict with eachother.


Name - Rating - Cost - Link

AVG ***** FREE AVG
Avast **** FREE Avast
SpyBot **** FREE SpyBot




Curing

Well, if you weren't fast enough to get a checker before you got the virus or your checker didn't find it, Don't worry, you can sort it out NOW. We recommend AVG. Do a FULL computer scan. Your virus checker should find it, and make you aware of it. Then it is just deleting it, or moving it to a secure location. Congratulations, you just healed your computer.


Section Two - PopUps

PopUps can be extremely annoying, as well as leaking viruses into your computer. For this reason, you should configure your computers PopUp blocker.

If you use Internet Explorer, your PopUp blocker should look like this:



In Mozilla Firefox, your PopUp blocker is not shown in your toolbar, but the lead up should look like this:





________________________________________

Summary

PopUps can appear from any site. NEVER click a link that comes from a PopUp, as it may lead to a virus. Most PopUps can be blocked by a correctly configured PopUp blocker. One of the most common PopUps is similar to the following.



Actions

PopUps themselves aren’t usually harmful, but it's where it takes you that’s the punch. Usually they claim to grant you with free items or services. But they either steal Personal Details, or sign you up to a Mobile Phone subscription that will charge you immensely. Adverts on web pages can be very simmilar. Unless it's a trusted company you are clicking, don't click the link!


Prevention

You can either use your browsers built in PopUp blocker, to different levels of security, or you can purchase one, but the built in blocker should be enough. To configure your PopUp blocker from windows, go to Tools > Internet Options > Security. You can configure it from there. You may need to download the Mozilla PopUp blocker separately. You can get it HERE. Go to Tools > Options > Content







Curing

If you are already receiving PopUps, don't worry, just follow the same steps as above. Go to Tools > Internet Options > Security or Tools > Options > Content from Mozilla Firefox.

Section Three - ID Thieves and Keeping Person Details Safe

Keeping your details safe is vital. Would you give your Name, Email, Phone Number, Address, Date Of Birth and Credit Card Number to anyone in the street? No. So be careful who you are giving your details to online.

_____________________

Summary

Lots of people on the web are out there to steal your details, and spend YOUR money. They do this by asking you to pay for something, then make you pay, big time, by making you go bankrupt. As well as money, there are strange people out there, that want to track you down, and take you. Always think about who you are giving your details to. All someone needs is your full name, and age, and they can trace you. Not only may someone want you, or your money, they may want your RuneScape account. NEVER, under any circumstances, tell ANYONE, your Recovery's or password.


Actions

As explained, you can get kidnapped, robbed, or hacked. People may seem nice, and they most likely are, but never let your guard down. They could be waiting, for you to give them your E-mail, and then they get to work. Please note that 99% of all people you meet will be friendly, legitimate, trust worthy people, it's just that tiny amount, who aren’t so nice.


Prevention

There’s one simple way to avoid it, NEVER EVER give any information to a website you don't trust, or a person you don't know. Never let your guard down. Don't worry though, most people here at Sal's are perfectly friendly. There's no cure to this, as if you give your information away, its out there. So, remember, stay safe.



Conclusion

If you follow these guidelines, you shouldn’t run into many viruses, other than the common cold. And you should be safe inside your house! This concludes the Internet Safety guide.




---------------------------------------

Guide COMPLETE!

This should be a tutorial not a guide, in my opinion.

You spelled Prevention wrong.

Hate to tell you, but AVG is really bad.

I would say use Avast (link) and Spybot (link) at the same time, they are the best protection.

For pop-ups, use Firefox's pop-up blocker (link for Firefox, have to download blocker seprately)

And your Firewall should be set to secure if you didn't list it

Thanks Nacho and King Of Quests

Your welcome mate. If you need anything else, just PM me and I'll see what I can do about it.

Your friendly neighborhood Quester,

Dartheh.

P.S: My links go to the homepage, not the download pages.

That's fine. I think if you don't have the IQ of 10 required to get to that page, your PC is up already.

Yeah, only with Spybot the process is a bit confusing, so might want to put that in (clicking process that is)

I don't think so . I did it in 3 clicks

Although my IQ is 114

No, AVG is one of the best anti virus software you can get.

Actually, AVG installs a virus onto your computer so it always has something to cure so you never remove it.

Avast doesn't, both my laptops are clean with Avast.

I think I prove my point? And Avast is 100% free, even to register, you just register with them and get a Registration key that gets you full access for 12 months, till you have to re-register.

With AVG, you pay

Not with AVG free. Any anyway, lets concentrate on the guide, not flaim baiting

Last off-topic post, AVG Free expires when a new version comes out, and you HAVE to pay for that one, unless you uninstall and redownload (which takes hours) and then re-install.

But I think you need to spell-check it all.

Stick it in a word doc and hit F7 and see what comes up, then repost.

Don't change things you KNOW are right, I know my Firefox does that, so I just add them into it's dictionary

You are incredibly misinformed, AVG is one of the most reputable anti virus programs out there.

It does not install a virus, it is free forever, and does not take hours to download.

The rest of the Tech Support team will corroborate this.

AVG should definitely be mentioned in this guide.

You have a very slow comp if AVG Free takes hours. And my grandfather, who used to be high up in IBM built my computer from scratch, (So I think he knows a little about computers) uses AVG Free.

Dangit, Stobbo beat me. Also, there's a poll in Tech Talk where AVG was voted best.

Well, that's what our IT department tells us.

They also say Norton is the best, which I know is a lie.

So I'll trust the techies on this one

The fact they say that means they have a credibility level of -100.

Also, in this guide you should mention you should only have one anti virus.

Yes, and that you should read some Internet Safety guidelines before Scaping (see the Runescape homepage or just Google it)

Edit: Stob, if you've heard of a program called ABTutor or ABControl, PM me and tell me any possible way to stop it functioning without uninstalling it.

Thanks

Can somone post a screenshot of Mozzila firefox running, with a popup blocker bar showing?

Backing up what Stobbo said about 2 antivirus', I had Avast! and AVG Free and it really slowed my internet down.

Yeh, I added that in.

Erm, I can try.

Or I can just show Adblock.

Update: Here it is:

Thats not what I meant, sorry, If you just post a screeny of sals running, Ill be able to sort it out

I'll do it tomorrow, it's getting late over here in Aus

Okay ( Or ill see if anyone else can do it )

There are some inaccuracies as Stobbo mentioned, and on top of that this should not be a guide posted for the website. I'm sure Stobbo can stick it over at Tech Talk.

Since this is an internet safety guide, just tell people that this isn't as foolproof as you are depicting.

Oh, and at 90% with the stuff you've got, you've really got a long way to go.

Not to mention the real reason for not having two is because they basically stop each other from working.



I would say this belongs in Tutorials, rather than Tech Talk.

Firefox thingy:
Go to Extra's -> Option -> Content and you'll see something like this:


i know , but i changed text to english as mine is dutch ^^
Maybe someone else can fill the blue lines...LOL =P

seperatly → separately

Firefox pop up blocker (it was built-in for me):
Tools>Options>Content

Options: Content

This is Firefox 3 btw

Thanks I'm adding them in now

This should probably go in one of the Tech sections, as it is a tutorial.

Please explain how you got it to be a tutorial, and why can't it go on the site?

The guides on the site are RuneScape related.
This would belong in the tutorial section (link above) because it is about keeping your computer safe. That doesn't really have to do with RuneScape.

Then can you explain to me why this guide is on the website? It does explain RuneScape in some parts, but mainly explains on how to keep your computer safe.


In either case, this would be more of a rewrite of that guide, which isn't entirely necessary, unless you can add more information to it.

That is because it is in the beginner and starter section of the site, and is counted as a basic safety guide. Even if this were considered a guide, it should be in the re-writes section.

Very good idea. You should put a section about "Bad people" on the internet and not giving away your personal information.

For anti-virus, use AVG. It's free and very good quality. I can't really give you much more info, just look it up.

~Tis Helk

Good idea .

I'll support and see what I can dig up for ya'.

Thanks guys, all I need are some more anti-viruses you use, and a pixel of somone handing over thier wallet.

Yeah, even though there is that other one on there, this one seems to be turning into more of a discussion than a definitive guide. I'm going to move it to the tutorials section; let me know if you still have a problem with that.



Yeah, even though there is that other one on there, this one seems to be turning into more of a discussion than a definitive guide. I'm going to move it to the tech section and let them decide what to do with it; let me know if you still have a problem with that.

SpyBot is not an anti-virus software.

Avira is also a very good free anti-virus, it's detections are one of the best:

http://www.free-av.com/

Should be Cancel, not Cancell.

Great guide, should help alot of people.

EDIT:





You should also mension about adverts, how dodgy they can be and such.

http://runescape.salmoneus.net/forums/inde...ls&code=add

You can add a tutorial there.

If I could suggest something though, instead of calling them a virus, why not say malicious software (since you've seem to have both spybot and avg under the same section, although they are completely different types of programs)?

Virus is technically something that replicates itself. Pop ups are another category (adware, if they're coming from your computer) and downloads are usually trojans , they appear to do something good but infact it ruins your computer.

If I could suggest something though, if you want to make this guide more indepth that is, add a section about spyware/adware. Those seems to be the most common problems right now...

PS: my 2 cents and my opinions only.

Invincible is definitely the wrong word to use here. In fact, if memory serves, Windows is actually more secure than OSX. The only reason you're so much more likely to get a virus on a windows PC over a PC running OSX is because windows is so much more popular, and people who write malicious software want the largest possible target area, but, as OSX becomes more popular, so will writing viruses for it. With it's precious little virus protection, this is gonna be a problem.

I really don't know if this is useful to you or not but, one good site that helps people get malware off their computer and fix computer problems for free is called Computer Hope. They go step-by-step so it is very easy for non-technical people to understand.

-Rayn.

Found another Cancell:

Whats the img link?

http://i36.tinypic.com/1zvtzeb.jpg
(Right click the image in question, hit properties, and it'll tell you the url.)