Watch your back!

by ⋅ 94 Comments


Internet is a blessing, no doubt! I am among the biggest beneficiaries of the internet revolution. I work online. I shop online. I bank online. I blog online. I even met my husband online :). So, there is no bigger fan of the www than yours truly. But, with online presence and the open nature of the net, come many perils that we might not even be aware of or watchful of. Due to the ease of creating email accounts and blogs, everyone is on board these days. Even my son is there, but I monitor his emails, and I have instructed him not to give out any personal information without checking with me. Hacking has become commonplace. You can suddenly find your email account or social media accounts hacked. It helps to change passwords regularly. Once your account is compromised, you may get blocked out of it and then you have to go through the roundabout route of contacting the provider and providing multiple identity proofs till your account is restored. Always have a backup email id as well. It helps in situations such as above.

Just yesterday, a professional website belonging to a travel agency was discovered to have completely gone blank. It is my sister’s travel website, http://travelplaza.biz that I helped design (with generous help thrown in by hubby), created and did content for from scratch. She called in panic, and on deeper investigation it was found that someone has left all the page files with blank files, in effect, leaving a blank website. The hosts are indiatimes.com, who were very sluggish in their response and were not much help. Luckily, I can’t thank him enough; I have a geek at home, my husband. He had kept a backup copy of the entire website in his system. That helped us put her site back up and running in just about 10 minutes. Another great help was google cache that helps you remember the exact webpage and how it looked especially when the site has undergone many modifications. It is another issue that the hosts are being pursued and suitably pulled up to see how this happened. And, other steps will be taken to go with more reliable hosts in the future.

This rang alarm bells in my head, and the first thing I did was backup my blog. Four years’ worth of my passion, it is worth more than what I can ever express in words. And, I will continue to take back ups so every month from now on. I’ve shared the link of how to backup your blog, if you are on blogger on my FB page. Here it is for those who don’t know:

http://www.labnol.org/internet/blogging/backup-your-blogger-blog/5984/

http://www.thriftcore.com/2011/05/how-to-back-up-your-blogger-blog-dont.html

For those on wordpress or self-hosted blogs, go to Tools –> Export. Click on all and you can get an XML file of your blog. Now just save this in a safe location. This is your blog’s backup till that date. Continue to take backups every month to keep the backup updated. In the event that your blog is lost, you can use this copy to restore your blog, comments et all.  You must do so right away!

Also remember that if you are blocked out of your email for some reason, you will not be able to access your blog too. Backups will help you in such circumstances.

Email ids: Be very careful of what emails you open. Do not store your private passwords, bank account information etc. in your emails. They are notorious for getting hacked. I once had my old hotmail and yahoo accounts hacked and completely cleaned up. I lost all my old emails of my pre-gmail days losing some of my precious mails with hubby. Be careful of opening emails or links from unknown people. They will normally have very catchy headlines. Some malicious ones will release virus or code that can dangerously harm or wipe out your hard disk or setup code on your computer that can be used to spy on your activities.

Be careful of phishing sites too. Never ever open your known bank accounts, emails or social media accounts from the links given in mails. They will lead you to websites that look identical to the real ones, and once you key in your password and other details, they will be picked up by the predators. Always type in the URL for these websites. There is too much at stake here.

Never ever fall for the “You have won a million-dollar lottery scheme” mails. Tempting as they may seem, they are hoaxes. Please read these horrifying incidents about email lottery scams:

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-05/mumbai/33614879_1_email-lottery-scam-crore-lottery-bank-account

http://www.ndtv.com/article/south/four-nigerians-arrested-in-belgaum-for-e-mail-lottery-scams-248659

Online shopping is good and convenient. Be always careful before inputting your CC details. Make sure that there is a lock symbol at the bottom that shows that the transaction is protected from prying eyes. And, if you are very scared, go for COD (cash on delivery) options and avoid giving out your crucial details. Never give out your ATM pin, password, netpin or any other pins to any person on email, telephone or otherwise.
Install a good virus check on your system always. And if you want to store confidential data, try sites like Dropbox that give you a secure database of files. You can also password protect files if needed.

I hope these tips are of some help to you. Internet is very useful, but safeguards must be in place to utilize this global medium well. Scamsters and hackers are one step ahead and feed on our naivete, greed sometimes and plain laziness at other times. Stay safe and happy browsing :)!

Posted in: Blogging

94 Thoughts on “Watch your back!”

  1. Ruchira on September 12, 2012 at 10:08 am said:

    excellent tips Rachna – I border on paranoid on making friends of FB. I screen them very very carefully. My passwords are always combinations of numbers and words and special characters.I used to backup my blog as word docs till you told us how to do it properly. The internet has indeed made life very easy for us but it has its perils!

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    • Rachna on September 12, 2012 at 3:59 pm said:

      Thank you Ruchira! I was really obsessed about my FB profile too. Now I am a bit more relaxed but am a stickler about privacy settings. And, of course, great tip about passwords. Maybe, we need to do a whole post on that one. I am so happy that the link was of use! After all, good things and good information is meant to be shared. Yes, internet certainly has its own perils.

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  2. amit on September 12, 2012 at 10:13 am said:

    Taking regular backup of your blog is a good idea. I took a backup almost a year back and this post is a good reminder of taking another one soon.
    Regular backups of websites is also necessary because it can go wrong anytime. The host servers can crash or can be attacked and then you are left with nothing.
    Good post.

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    • Rachna on September 12, 2012 at 4:01 pm said:

      Thank you Amit! Absolutely, and I hope we all remember to keep doing this exercise regularly. The bit about websites I only realized yesterday. But, then I am not a geek. Yet, we all should brace ourselves for eventualities like the ones you’ve pointed out. Thanks for your comment.

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  3. Ugich Konitari on September 12, 2012 at 10:19 am said:

    Rachna, thanks much for this timely reminder. I did know about the Blogger backup facility, and had earlier been doing backups. But your post served as a reminder and I just finished backing up two blogs. I still dont trust online buying , and do it only when no other route is available, but mostly on COD. Thanks again!

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    • Rachna on September 12, 2012 at 4:04 pm said:

      Thank you Suranga! Yes, we all need timely reminders. Glad to be of help :). I understand about online shopping. My brother is very cagey about Netbanking for the same reason. Online shopping is especially good for railway tickets and airline bookings too.

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  4. Lazy Pineapple on September 12, 2012 at 10:20 am said:

    Really fantastic tips Rachna. I never knew about backing up my blog before I read your post. Thanks a ton for such an insightful post 🙂

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  5. Corinne @ Everyday Gyaan on September 12, 2012 at 10:43 am said:

    I’m glad your sister’s site is safe, Rachna. The stuff that sometimes goes down on the net is so scary. We have to be constantly guarded as you rightly say.

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    • Rachna on September 12, 2012 at 4:05 pm said:

      Yes, Corinne, it was rather scary. We don’t realize how much value a website or a blog has in our life. Thank God, things were sorted out, but it was a rude reminder.

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  6. Jenny on September 12, 2012 at 10:48 am said:

    Gosh, it was great that your hubby could restore the entire site and he actually had taken a backup!

    I save my password in my company email becuase they are more safer, but I think i should stop that as well! This a great post for tips. Thanks!

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    • Rachna on September 12, 2012 at 4:06 pm said:

      I agree, Jenny. Being a techie, he knows these things way better than I do. And, you be careful. No saving any passwords in any emails, it is too risky. Thanks so much for dropping by and for your support.

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  7. Always Unlucky on September 12, 2012 at 12:31 pm said:

    I really appreciate your post and you explain each and every point very well.Thanks for sharing this information.And I’ll love to read your next post too.
    From Perfect Shot

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  8. Jack on September 12, 2012 at 4:03 pm said:

    Rachna,

    Thanks for warning. I will pass it on to our children also.

    Take care

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  9. Bhagyashree on September 12, 2012 at 4:34 pm said:

    Oh… glad that it got sorted out. Will back up mine too. Thanx

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  10. Mithil on September 12, 2012 at 6:01 pm said:

    great eye opening post. Like u i spend most of my time online and can identify with the stated problems

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  11. Zephyr on September 13, 2012 at 1:34 am said:

    Those were the most wonderful tips Rachna. I have to contact my ‘blog manager’ and find out the status. It is really scary to think you will lose everything in the swipe of a hacker or spyware’s hand.

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  12. D.Nambiar on September 13, 2012 at 1:39 am said:

    This is a life-saving post, Rachna. I’m going to have to share this. 🙂 We really do need reminders like this. It’s a dangerous world out there.

    I hope you and the kids are doing well. 🙂

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  13. umashankar on September 13, 2012 at 3:18 am said:

    Internet is the proverbial double-edged sword. Yes, you can be never be careful enough. I rather believe in NASA’s theory, “If any thing can go wrong, it will go wrong!”. It is a very educative and helpful post. God bless you!

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  14. Rahul Bhatia on September 13, 2012 at 3:23 am said:

    Nice post, Rachna with useful information!

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  15. magiceye on September 13, 2012 at 4:23 am said:

    Very useful tips. Thank you Rachna!

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  16. poonam on September 13, 2012 at 5:11 am said:

    co incidently rachna, I was writing up a post on kid friendly browsers! great tips!

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    • Rachna on September 13, 2012 at 10:13 am said:

      Hope all is fine!

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    • AmitAag on September 14, 2012 at 10:36 am said:

      Yeah, all’s fine Rachna. I’m sorry my incomplete comment got posted inadvertently, as I moved out suddenly. Perhaps I was going to write further ‘A stitch in time saves nine’ or some such thing.
      Sorry again, and thanks loadz for this huge piece of information of vital importance in the interest of us all. I’ll do the needful soon and will thank you once again for the link.

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    • Rachna on September 14, 2012 at 4:35 pm said:

      No problem at all :). You are most welcome. I am happy that the information was of some use to you.

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  18. vinay on September 13, 2012 at 5:25 am said:

    Thanks for this post. We really need to watch our backs.

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  19. Chatty Wren on September 13, 2012 at 5:29 am said:

    Very informative post Rachna. Yes, backing up data is something I always leave for that sometime later, which never materialises. Well, now that I’ve read this post I am off to that right now.

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  20. jj on September 13, 2012 at 7:24 am said:

    Times Group is a very shoddy place to have any business with anyway

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  21. Anonymous on September 13, 2012 at 7:33 am said:

    I always use icognito window for my personal browsing other that office stuff….

    (Swathi)

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  22. Me on September 13, 2012 at 8:00 am said:

    Excellent post Rachna!

    I have almost lost my blog twice and your info surely helped. Personally I am very scared about internet as a medium as it has many pros as well as cons for its users. We surely need to be very careful.

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  23. jaish_vats on September 13, 2012 at 8:13 am said:

    Every now and then either someone I know or I myself gets a mail that its from some prince in some Godforsaken country and that the monarchy has left all their wealth to me and something like that! ha ha True, Internet has as many risks as the advantages!

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  24. goingbeyondthepages on September 13, 2012 at 10:51 am said:

    As usual bang on post with all the information one needs.

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  25. Ash on September 13, 2012 at 3:20 pm said:

    Excellent tips, and SO relevant! Esp the blog backup one. I’ll do it too 🙂 Thanks!

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  26. R. Ramesh on September 13, 2012 at 3:55 pm said:

    wait i have to take a print of this n read properly..very intersting ya..thanks

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  27. Ashwini C N on September 13, 2012 at 4:57 pm said:

    Hi Rachna

    I have to thank you because It never struck me to take a back up of my blog. As much as the Online world and Internet are close to us and make life easier and more enjoyable, you are right, we need to keep a tab on the way we give out information. No information is trivial when it goes to some prying eyes.

    Thanks for the link

    Ashwini 😉

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  28. Panchali on September 13, 2012 at 7:52 pm said:

    Thanks for the tips, Rachna. I am happy to note that you were able to restore your sister’s e-mail account. Wonder, what will happen to me if I get stuck like that..:(
    Am a total computer illiterate…sigh!!

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    • Rachna on September 14, 2012 at 4:22 am said:

      Panchali, it was actually her website that was restored, so much more was at stake. I understand what you are saying. At least for our blogs, it makes sense to back up.

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  29. kala on September 13, 2012 at 8:06 pm said:

    reallyyy so usefulll tipssss

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  30. Found In Folsom on September 14, 2012 at 3:57 am said:

    Thanks a ton Rachna. The blog back up is a huge help to all of us. Can’t believe your sister’s website was hacked…. thought only emails and online accounts got hacked. I had my share of experience too. I got an email once saying that my bank account was locked and enter my credentials to block it. Big fool that I am, I readily did it..:) and they nicely charged or withdrew $1800…:( luckily, the bank was able to get me back my money though…:) from then, I learnt my lesson…very useful tips…thank u so so much…

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  31. BK Chowla, on September 14, 2012 at 5:54 am said:

    Thanks,rachana for sharing. I didnt realise that problem could become so serious.
    Thanks

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  32. indu chhibber on September 14, 2012 at 12:25 pm said:

    That was a precious hoard of information Rachna.i will try to take a backup of my blog-never done it till now.let me see if i succeed.thanks.

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  33. bellybytes on September 15, 2012 at 1:56 am said:

    Thanks really for sharing this info! It’s really scary how some invisible “person” can steal your life.

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  34. Sudhagee on September 15, 2012 at 9:30 am said:

    Thanks for this wonderful post, Rachna. To be honest, I did not even think of taking a back up of my WP blog.

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  35. Ghazala Hossain on September 17, 2012 at 7:47 am said:

    I am going to backup my blogs. Thank you Rachna 😀

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  36. Bikramjit on September 17, 2012 at 3:57 pm said:

    Thankfully I get all my articles as email to myself.. But neverthless backing up is Good .. and I should do it as the last time i did was a few months back

    Thank you for reminding

    Bikram’s

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  37. Abhinav R on September 18, 2012 at 5:07 am said:

    That was a worthful post. I had backed up my blog once, now I consider this as a remainder and will do it regularly from now.. Thank you for the post 🙂

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  38. Saru Singhal on September 20, 2012 at 10:46 pm said:

    Oh, thank god or thanks to your hubby that you had backup. We really have to watch a lot these days. Changing password does help. My earlier account was hacked and I lost it, since I am very cautious.

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  39. Shilpa Garg on September 25, 2012 at 11:48 am said:

    Oh My! This was very insightful. Will definitely take the back-up of my blog! Can’t afford to lose all the precious blabbering! 😀
    Thanks for sharing! 🙂

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  40. sharmila on October 2, 2012 at 9:13 am said:

    Excellent info there for someone like me!thanks for sharing Rachna.Doing the backup right away!

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  41. sharmila on October 2, 2012 at 9:13 am said:

    Excellent info there for someone like me!thanks for sharing Rachna.Doing the backup right away!

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  42. Rachna on October 3, 2012 at 3:37 pm said:

    Sarvanan has left a new comment on your post “Watch your back!”:

    Absolutely true..Worthful post for many users especially for people who use facebook regularly..

    Reply↓

  43. Pingback: My blogging journey: Phase I from blogger subdomain to custom domain! | Rachna Says

  44. Seeta on March 7, 2014 at 10:23 am said:

    Danke much Rachna! Am on the blogger backup link now, will work on doing it now.

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  45. Dagny on March 7, 2014 at 10:39 am said:

    XML file downloaded. Can I breathe now? 🙂

    Seriously, you are the sweetest! Bless you!

    Reply↓

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