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Tips for Keeping Your Computer Secure

Using websites and email is always increasing in popularity, and so are the number of attempts at hacking into networks with attempts to steal data or disrupt business. Here are some reminders to help keep your computer and website secure:

1) HomeTeamsONLINE will NEVER ask you to give your password or other private information in an email. Don't respond to email requests for personal information - even if it looks like it is from an organization or even a friends email. Alway check links to websites very carefully.

2) Note that payments on our site are only done through the secure checkout after you log in, and be aware that HomeTeamsONLINE immediately deletes all but the first and last four numbers of the credit card as soon as it is submitted for authorization. We do not store full credit card numbers anywhere.

3) Be very careful of giving out your site password to anyone, and if you use a public computer, do not save the password in the browser. It is good practice to change your password often, especially if you suspect it could have been told to other people you can't count on.

4) Here's some other general tips:
- Keep your virus protection software up to date.
- Don't open emails from unknown sources, and be careful even if you think it is from a known source. We generally recommend you delete ANY email with an attached file of any sort unless you specifically made arrangements for someone to send you something. Email names can easily be "spoofed" and sometimes your friends may have infected computers that are being used to send malicious spam.
- Make sure you use a good password for your router and especially your wireless networks.
- Be very careful of the sites you browse, and if you get one that opens endless pop-ups with blinking text and load bars with warnings, etc., DO NOT start clicking anything: slow down, take a deep breath, and carefully shut down your browser application. If your confused, you might want to shut down the system directly. A lot of malicious programs "disguise" themselves as a legitimate virus scan or operating system pop-up window (even if you have a pop-up blocker) and try to get you to panic and click the wrong thing.
- When in doubt, delete it, turn it off, shut it down. Users should all be aware that many emails they send might get treated as spam and never opened - be understanding about the need to err on the side of caution. If you do send something important you'll want to follow up and verify the information was received.

By being aware of the ways computers and networks are attacked, and taking precautions, we can hopefully put malicious hackers out of business!