Did you know that you can chat with Facebook friends within Hotmail? Just connect your Facebook account to Windows Live and be sure the “Chat with my Facebook friends in Messenger” box is selected.
No matter where you’re chatting, it’s a good idea to be cautious. There are a few basic chatting and social networking tips to help you avoid identity theft and other scams:
For more information, see 11 tips for social networking safety.
Pornographic images of children circulate on the Internet at an alarming rate. Since 2002, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) have reviewed and analyzed nearly 49 million photos and videos of child pornography--more than 13 million in 2010 alone--according to Ernie Allen, NCMEC president and CEO.
PhotoDNA is a technology developed by Microsoft that helps find and remove some of the “worst of the worst” images on the Internet. Microsoft donated the PhotoDNA technology to the NCMEC who developed a PhotoDNA-based program for Internet companies. Recently, Facebook announced that they would be using the service on their site.
For more information, see 500 million friends against child exploitation. To learn more about other ways Microsoft continues to advocate for a safer Internet, see the Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit Newsroom.
If you’re browsing the web and you see a security warning, beware. Cybercriminals use fake security warnings (also known as “rogue security software”) to steal personal information or to charge you for a program that doesn’t work.
You should only download software from a reputable source. Microsoft Security Essentials, for example, is a program that can help protect your computer. Download it for free.
To watch a video about the extent of the problem and what Microsoft is doing about it, see Rogue Security Software: Scamming for Money.
You can use your smartphone and location services (also known as “geolocation”) to post information about where you are at any given time. But before you use geolocation, you might want to consider these safety tips:
For more information about the risks and rewards of using geolocation, see Use location services more safely.
Whether you tweet, friend, post, or follow, Microsoft provides online safety guidance and resources to fit your lifestyle. Along with the Microsoft Safety & Security Center, we are active on a variety of social networking sites.
Make practical safety habits part of your daily online routine.
Microsoft releases security updates on the second Tuesday of every month. Today Microsoft released 16 security updates.
Get the updates.
Watch a video about the updates.
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An anonymous blog reader writes:
“Someone keeps calling me every other week claiming to be from Microsoft tech support. They even gave me a number to call back. Can't we report them?”
Yes. Learn about how to report phone fraud in the United States. Outside of the US, contact your local authorities.
Microsoft is aware of this scam and is investigating it. For more information, see Avoid tech support phone scams.
Today the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) posted details about the June security updates. On Tuesday, June 14 at approximately 10 AM Pacific Time Microsoft will release 16 bulletins.
The easiest way to get the updates when they're available is to turn on Windows automatic updating. For more information about how this works, see Understanding Windows automatic updating.
The Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification Service offers details about security updates approximately three business days before they are released. We do this to allow customers (especially IT professionals) to plan for effective deployment of security updates.
Advanced Notification includes information about:
For more information about the security updates that will be released on June 14, see Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification for June 2011.
For official risk and impact analysis, as well as deployment guidance, visit the MSRC blog. If you are on Twitter, you might want also want to follow @MSFTSecResponse.
It’s graduation season, so whether you’re graduating or your child is, here are some safety tips for what’s ahead.
1. Spot and avoid job-hunting scams. Paper resumés are going the way of the dodo, so graduates (or anyone searching for a job) should be careful about how much personal information they put online and should learn how to avoid job hunting scams. For more information, see Online job-hunting scams.
2. Protect your new computer. If you got a new computer for graduation, be sure it has reputable antivirus software to protect against malware. To learn what else you need to do before you go online with a new computer, see How to boost your malware defense and protect your PC.
3. Secure your smartphone. A phone that lets you surf the Internet, download apps, and take and send pictures is a great gift for high school or college graduates. Learn how to help keep the information on your phone more secure.
4. Manage your online reputation. More and more employers check Facebook pages and other online information before they hire applicants. Learn how to take charge of your online reputation.
5. Use Microsoft Office more safely. You probably already know that Microsoft Office includes useful tools for graduates. But did you know it can also help protect your computer from viruses and fraud? For more information, see Security in Microsoft Office 2010.
Richard writes:
“Can Microsoft Security Essentials co-exist with other antivirus software like McAfee or Norton? Or do I have to uninstall my current McAfee Suite?”
Yes, you should uninstall McAfee Suite before installing Microsoft Security Essentials.
Microsoft Security Essentials is free software that helps protect against viruses, spyware, worms, and other malware or unwanted software. If you use Microsoft Security Essentials, you don't need to install any other antivirus or antispyware software.
In fact, if you run more than one antivirus or antispyware program at once, it might affect your computer's performance. For more information, see Uninstalling existing antivirus or antispyware programs before installing Microsoft Security Essentials.
Bottom line? You should choose one antivirus program. Obviously, we recommend Microsoft Security Essentials, but we’re not alone: others recommend it too.