Protecting yourself online

  • Posted November 22nd, 2010 at 9:04 am by
  • Categories: General

At Yahoo! Mail, we take security very seriously, so we want to keep you informed about potential threats that we’re seeing on the horizon. In recent weeks, a new technology has raised awareness around security weaknesses that threaten Web surfers around the world.  The technology at the center of attention is called Firesheep. It’s a plug-in for the Mozilla Firefox Web browser that lets users view the Web traffic of others logged onto the same unsecure Wi-Fi network and possibly steal log-in information. While the implications of this technology are serious, there are a few key tips to help prevent anyone from accessing your information:

  • Always be cautious when accessing your account when using unsecure Wi-Fi networks. Consider accessing your account only on networks that use WPA-enabled, secure Wi-Fi connections. And, you should only connect to Websites that use cookie-based authentication.
  • Sign up for a personal VPN service and use it when you connect to a public Wi-Fi network. If you’re using a work computer that has VPN software, activate it.

If you want more information about how to stay safe online, visit http://security.yahoo.com/. As always, please feel free to contact our Customer Care team.

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David McDowell
Sr. Director of Product Management
Yahoo! Mail
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