Stupid things we do - NZ's top 10 risky online behaviours

Kiwis are still engaging in risky online behaviour, say Trend Micro experts.

We're used to not clicking on sex drug emails, we know that sending vast sums of money to people in Nigeria isn't very clever, and most now understand that loading a Facebook photo of yourself sitting on a beach while you're meant to be off sick could get you in trouble with the boss.

But while Kiwis are getting better at not being screwed by cybercrooks, the internet security boffins at Trend Micro say we're still making big mistakes in our often-risky online behaviour.

Trend Micro's security experts have identified the top ten mistakes that New Zealanders are still making in their online lives - putting our finances, our PCs and our private lives at risk

1. If you must do stupid things, don't film it. If you must film it, don't post it online. Anything you put on the internet, anyone can see it: family, colleagues, bosses and enemies.

2. Don't recycle passwords between personal, shopping and banking sites. If a hacker gets your details from an easy-to-hack personal site, they've got a sweet and easy ride to your life savings if you use the same password and email combo at your bank, for example.

3. Anti-virus software alone doesn't cut it anymore. You need something with "Internet security" or "web threat protection" in the name to protect from keystroke copying, password hacking, nasty web links and all the other stuff out there now beyond just viruses.

4. Always ignore emails from banks or other trusted institutions asking for your passwords.

5. Be sceptical of random emails from trusted friends that don't sound like "normal" language for them, maybe a little clumsy, or too formal, asking you to check out a URL link or action something. Check out whether emails with a charity or fear angle are for real at snopes.com – they study and record various urban online myths.

6. Opening dodgy URL links releases cyber-poison into your PC these days, not just infected email attachments. If you have good internet security software, the links would be blocked. If you don't, dodgy links to even dodgier web-sites is where viruses, spyware and malware get their "in" to your computer now.

7. Never put personal information online. It's amazing how many people do it, such as full date of birth, personal photos, driver's license photos, or home address. These are all pieces in a puzzle for any bored hacker.

8. Posting comments like "pulling a sickie today, check out the waves!" on a personal site and not expecting it to get back to your employer or colleagues is dopey.

9. Check whether shock news alerts in your email like "Barack Obama assassinated" or "Weetbix found to contain poison" are kosher on a credible news site before you follow any links in the email itself (which will likely lead you to a spoof site) and/or forward to a gazillion people.

10. Get yourself checked out even if you don't have any symptoms. Many online viruses don't trigger noticeable symptoms anymore because it's smarter for the hackers not to give you any signs: if you get a sniffle or a cough, you'll head to the doctor and get fixed. Run a good quality internet security check and you might be surprised what it finds lurking. Trend Micro's Housecall is a good, free check.