eARNING TRICK: personal security

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYWwHseyksZ781QtfXltD1Vne7z2ew4EbLGuEkeqAad0e8vfEFONQMZxIb2xqpsKh_NJuyTt70Ck0l_Kt6itYGSHoHWMEYaCifn8Y_KQq6R_Y0wo930Ni1TqazfSevmLdhXWF42vn6Z0/s1600/stickgirl8.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYWwHseyksZ781QtfXltD1Vne7z2ew4EbLGuEkeqAad0e8vfEFONQMZxIb2xqpsKh_NJuyTt70Ck0l_Kt6itYGSHoHWMEYaCifn8Y_KQq6R_Y0wo930Ni1TqazfSevmLdhXWF42vn6Z0/s200/stickgirl8.png" width="143" /></a>Every AdSense publisher is responsible for keeping their own AdSense account safe, and for protecting themselves (and their own websites) against hackers. AdSense will not protect your account for you (beyond the safeguards given in your account). So the question is, how do you keep your accounts (and yourself) safe from hackers?<br /><br />Regardless of what anyone else tells you or what you might read on blogs or websites, <b><i>there is no 100% foolproof method to protect yourself</i></b>. You can do everything "right" and still may (at some point in your life) find yourself the unhappy host for something you don't want.<br /><br />That doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't take the steps required to protect yourself. The more protections you set up, the harder you make it for someone to get into your accounts. Don't offer them an open door, which so many people seem to do because they haven't thought much about protection, until they really need it..<br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;">Where to Begin - the Google Account</span></b><br /><a name="more"></a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTf-UBnoMugOEJSRmzhwnenh13naxn5xoYz4sRSzLTYK5OdWCe9W0pHiDiJsBHje95sjgM5qTqyjG2vxH_-yAzNe1CUVBiwPXparPRgDQkR1HycgOKRthYqoJrwKkkony77h8pAL5EXL0/s1600/GA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTf-UBnoMugOEJSRmzhwnenh13naxn5xoYz4sRSzLTYK5OdWCe9W0pHiDiJsBHje95sjgM5qTqyjG2vxH_-yAzNe1CUVBiwPXparPRgDQkR1HycgOKRthYqoJrwKkkony77h8pAL5EXL0/s400/GA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The first place you begin is with your Google Account, because your Google Account is your access to every other Google Product you use - it opens the door to all of your products: your Blogger, your Gmail, your YouTube channel, your Adsense account ... anywhere you use your Google login, can be accessed by signing into your Google Account.<br /><br /><ol><li>Choose your username carefully.</li><li>Make your password hard to guess. If there's room, use as many as 20-25 characters for your password. Use a random choice of lower case letters, upper case letters, numbers, and characters (like a # sign, $ sign, ! sign, etc.) Not only are these harder to guess, they also take much longer for crypto program algorithms to find the correct set of characters.  Since you choose these randomly, they're also very hard for YOU to remember, so write it down on paper. Don't lose it. </li><li>Don't store it on your computer, or in your phone or mobile device. </li><li>Don't let your browser save it. </li><li>Don't use the same password anywhere else. </li><li>Change your password weekly. </li><li>Don't use the same password twice when changing it (don't don't alternate between 2 or 3 different passwords).</li><li>Enable 2-step login verification. <a href="https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6103523?hl=en" target="_blank">If you have a security key, use it.</a></li><li>Don't login to your Google Account from anywhere except your own devices.</li><li>Remember to log out when finished.</li><li>Don't share your password or login information with ANYONE, even if you trust them.</li><li>Don't share screenshots from your accounts in public forums unless you blank out your personal information.</li><li>Don't invite other users to your accounts.</li><li>If you must invite others, and they are not YOUR own other accounts, do NOT make them Administrators. Making anyone else an admin. means they can lock you out of your own account.</li></ol><br />Since your Google account is your login for your AdSense account, taking these steps will also protect your AdSense account - at least as much as it is possible to protect an account.<br /><br />All of the above are simply common sense. It really doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand the importance of keeping intruders out of your account.<br /><br />But, there are other ways a hacker can get your information, and you need to be aware of these as well.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;">Learning What Not to Click, and What Not to Trust</span></b><br /><br />Everyday, most of us will receive some sort of spam or email with the enticement to "click here" for something ... whether it's to change your password, or to login to another account, or to claim a prize or ... well anyone of a hundred different things.<br /><br /><b>DO_NOT_CLICK any link in any email from ANYONE without checking it out.</b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilL2c1vtw1kseGzmeZTWwUYp0SXO95pE2L67fxkHnRi8iV8Uf03XyZgI-HIFKFAP4VhkGrDcvDoCw3jKwIT8kpqVY8JS_xq2YbrUJJmmF-jYuUFgPvIezXNeTGJXY6QvrI3sJgJp5vqtU/s1600/gmailreceived.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilL2c1vtw1kseGzmeZTWwUYp0SXO95pE2L67fxkHnRi8iV8Uf03XyZgI-HIFKFAP4VhkGrDcvDoCw3jKwIT8kpqVY8JS_xq2YbrUJJmmF-jYuUFgPvIezXNeTGJXY6QvrI3sJgJp5vqtU/s400/gmailreceived.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In Gmail, the first step is for you to check the email headers. Use the curved arrow at the right side of the page, and choose the option to "show original". This will open in a new page. Check for the domain authentication. If it was really sent from that sender, and not just spoofed, the authentication will usually show as a "permitted sender". If it's spoofed (ie: looks like it comes from a real person or a business your recognize but really doesn't), it will usually show that as non-permitted, or not allowed sender.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8KUO2ecTXsFItHq62Mc9t_2kCEnl_Hm0zY9jpGQ0z91_DSj_0oLuk6JIsWd3NGKIX9nbMYqNH5I2-KWAAMmjqxwYhUD_2FftvaNbIfUc0WBGA5oCpFDjRXdG9RPb_RoxeaFd1ZqxkxVg/s1600/permittedsender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="71" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8KUO2ecTXsFItHq62Mc9t_2kCEnl_Hm0zY9jpGQ0z91_DSj_0oLuk6JIsWd3NGKIX9nbMYqNH5I2-KWAAMmjqxwYhUD_2FftvaNbIfUc0WBGA5oCpFDjRXdG9RPb_RoxeaFd1ZqxkxVg/s400/permittedsender.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />That's just the first clue though, and may not always be reliable.<br /><br />If there's a link in the email, check it first.<b> DO NOT click on the link</b>.  Just hover over it. Look at the status bar at the bottom of your screen.<br /><br />It shows you (usually) where that link will lead. If it's fake, it won't lead where you think it should.<br /><br />The next safety check is to search for that URL on the link. Highlight the link from your email, and select "copy link" or "copy URL". Paste that URL into a blank notepad. Most of the time, there will be a domain name in that link. Go to "Google.com" to search for the domain - don't go there directly, not yet.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSObmFi5V0iMhEAim3T3uupDdcMu0fSjAXbarQmyM_30k2C2v7TFAmN9HAcKrBRDvqKOyDKyH1Ivqq4pAHOpo8tKC9JXYgpDCON5pSYRrZFa_i4EHOJUo32bl5ZRDu5mw-ckdIejliLE/s1600/Stickboy13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSObmFi5V0iMhEAim3T3uupDdcMu0fSjAXbarQmyM_30k2C2v7TFAmN9HAcKrBRDvqKOyDKyH1Ivqq4pAHOpo8tKC9JXYgpDCON5pSYRrZFa_i4EHOJUo32bl5ZRDu5mw-ckdIejliLE/s200/Stickboy13.jpg" width="94" /></a><br />Check the search results for the domain on the link you copied. See what the web has to say about it. If it looks legit, visit one of the pages using a cached page view.  Make sure your browser is using security before visiting. use a popup blocker; use a tracker blocker like ghostery; use an adblocker; use a anti-phishing plugin/extension, and make sure your browser is protected by an antivirus.<br /><br />Never just click a link in your email without first checking it. Doing so can take you to a site or page that can gather your personal information, including login data from your browser.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;">Protecting your Website Against Intruders</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"> </span></b><br /><br />Fairly often we see frantic publishers in the AdSense forum whose websites have been hacked and taken over by others. While it isn't always possible to protect against every type of attack on a website, there are simple common sense things you can do if you are using paid hosting, but what's available on paid hosting can depend on what type of hosting you have, and what type of website you've developed.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOs7IEahRWGCuzzLON9wcQbM7b-H0m7JmdwlCcJyvlW3Gbi_o7d2xjBaLNw8wF6qYikVP0D1TpMDFrO4t0ATkX0yuM-KjdXY6FplKErQGa7lg53bLL7jamR90EURL-otvmxoRGHUKPZM/s1600/wordpressLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOs7IEahRWGCuzzLON9wcQbM7b-H0m7JmdwlCcJyvlW3Gbi_o7d2xjBaLNw8wF6qYikVP0D1TpMDFrO4t0ATkX0yuM-KjdXY6FplKErQGa7lg53bLL7jamR90EURL-otvmxoRGHUKPZM/s1600/wordpressLogo.jpg" /></a></div>Wordpress.org self-hosted sites are usually the most prolific and widely used, and there are many ways to protect against unwanted take overs, but none are perfect. Most will work, unless someone really wants in. If you aren't using any protection, you need to.<br /><br /><ol><li>Set your "login attempts" plugin to really low allowances. Allow no more than 2 login attempts, without lockouts after that. Set the lockout to last for an hour. After two lockouts, they can't try again for 24 hours. Also note that this will make it difficult for you login if you enter a wrong password, so make sure you know your password.</li><li>Make your login username different than the name you show on your blog as the person posting. For example, if you write a post and it says "posted by admin"  do not use "admin" as your login name (also don't use administrator).</li><li>Don't use your own name as your login.</li><li>Don't use your site name as a login.</li><li>Don't use a name that can be associated with you in any way as your own user login.</li><li>Make your password long, with 20 or more characters. </li><li>Don't use common phrases in your password (for example, don't use things like "4U" together).</li><li>Don't use the name of your site, don't use your own name, birthdate, address, phone number or any other sort of personal information as part of your password.</li><li>Don't use the same password as your Google account uses, in fact, don't use the same password anywhere else.</li><li>If you host multiple sites under your hosting plan, make sure you use different logins and passwords for each of your websites.</li><li>Install security for your website. Sites built on wordpress have multiple plugins you can use (<a href="http://www.wordfence.com/" target="_blank">WordFence</a>, and <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-simple-firewall/" target="_blank">Simple Firewall</a> are just two). Before installing any plugins, check them out. Make sure the developer is trustworthy and the reviews are reasonably good.</li><li>Follow the suggestions used above: don't login to your admin account unless using your own devices. Logout when you're done. </li><li>Don't share your login with anyone. </li><li>Don't let your browser store your logins. </li><li>Change your password once a month - more frequently if you see people trying to access your admin account. </li><li>Don't store your login/password anywhere online.</li><li>If you can avoid it, don't post to your site using a mobile device. Turn off that option.</li><li>Be careful how you set up your FTP accounts.</li><li>If your hosting allows it, use an .htaccess file to block suspect IP addresses and web spiders you don't trust.</li></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4atv5cBvwYjJhlCxAUJ5wFKdNTYK_-INSErAh2NIfMqDbtaA6to3OykgrPnf3S1q4G2w5oAk45fuimGjT2j86Ikxdcpi2riGCzDuMEqIJl_wz5YHV5HFS0JCB7PPVIs3wI1wuxfVfIg/s1600/StickfigureGirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4atv5cBvwYjJhlCxAUJ5wFKdNTYK_-INSErAh2NIfMqDbtaA6to3OykgrPnf3S1q4G2w5oAk45fuimGjT2j86Ikxdcpi2riGCzDuMEqIJl_wz5YHV5HFS0JCB7PPVIs3wI1wuxfVfIg/s200/StickfigureGirl.jpg" width="120" /></a></div><div>Note that blocking an individual IP address is not the most effective way to prevent problems, particularly if that's all you've been doing for protection. Many (if not all) hackers don't use their own IP addresses, and use one of the hundreds of proxy sites which assign random IP addresses. That means you could block thousands of IPs that don't necessarily belong to an actual hacker. Using other methods will provide more protection than just blocking a bunch of IP address, or even a range of IPs.  So yes, you can block the IPs, but one shouldn't count on just that  to do the trick.</div><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://google.com/+JGraceyStinson" target="_blank">posted by J. Gracey Stinson</a></div></div>

Safeguard your AdSense Account Against Hackers

Every AdSense publisher is responsible for keeping their own AdSense account safe, and for protecting themselves (and their own websites) ag...

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn86UEukMQNfEuyP2fmqM0Wv6lfRz57KcefbPdmx7v7GaqlanN0gS62tD1fZmLDA6z5mPEC5Pt_opPxjEFO8rNTyP2Fcyhc8XjRftJETczoB86HjiKn7wyVV8hg4wmpBkFnRPGE_moYCo/s1600/TinyTelephone.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn86UEukMQNfEuyP2fmqM0Wv6lfRz57KcefbPdmx7v7GaqlanN0gS62tD1fZmLDA6z5mPEC5Pt_opPxjEFO8rNTyP2Fcyhc8XjRftJETczoB86HjiKn7wyVV8hg4wmpBkFnRPGE_moYCo/s200/TinyTelephone.png" width="200" /></a>So yesterday around the supper hour I received a long distance phone call from an area code I didn't recognize. Generally, spam calls (ie: unsolicited sales calls from telemarketers) don't show an area code or telephone number on our call display, they simply show as "private". Normally, I tend not to answer calls if I don't recognize the number, but we're in a bit of a family situation right now where we might receive calls from health professionals and we might not recognize the number, so I answered the phone.<br /><br /> What exactly does this have to do with Adsense?  It doesn't really relate "directly" to Adsense, but if you read on, you'll see that it might have an indirect affect on a site carrying AdSense ads. In my case, it probably wouldn't have affected my Adsense account since the site this call related to doesn't have Adsense on it, but yours might.<br /><a name="more"></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzl4PmI1bcqSoqeOy8rX5kqxNjG_7aohYSzwtcfFPnvkDLiptuvS2OZLVpwPFOETWzGeHRwFKBgkDClZyI2eEyqadUT7FBRzjPPD5ywjarHoXiZ9Y4L_hss3V-4kYgYAUYM2GVEPvSSoY/s1600/ShadyCharacter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzl4PmI1bcqSoqeOy8rX5kqxNjG_7aohYSzwtcfFPnvkDLiptuvS2OZLVpwPFOETWzGeHRwFKBgkDClZyI2eEyqadUT7FBRzjPPD5ywjarHoXiZ9Y4L_hss3V-4kYgYAUYM2GVEPvSSoY/s1600/ShadyCharacter.jpg" /></a>The caller on the other end of the line began by telling me they wanted to update my Google Business listing. Right away, I was hesitant about the call. I couldn't imagine Google calling me for a simple thing like updating my Google Places listing. If they wanted to do that, they'd more likely send me an email than make a phone call. The next thing he asked was my name, which I also found strange. Considering the fact that updating a Google Places business listing involves the business owner whose name is attached and listed along with the business information, Google would already know my name, so they'd either ask for me directly or ask if I was that person. They probably wouldn't ask what my name was. So far, two sentences into the conversation and I'm pretty sure I was not talking to anyone from Google Places.<br /><br />Next the caller asked if I knew where my business site ranked when someone did a Google search for the type of services I provide. I indicated that I did in fact know, and since I am semi-retired and live in a small community and my site comes up fairly high in serps, it's placement was fine with me. Next he wondered if I knew where my site ranked on Bing and Yahoo, and other search engines and "bingo" ... I knew this was nobody from any Google services.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTA3mlS4kr2kPdBujrPlnl1kHV1_2pKmC0lxykJAGOB7eOMfcK6AUdAtGObhiO1t8W1Ve-hy8wyfuIj6mAURjtWsKEdwJrUvlAObgBSL6Dz-l3smyTeK9hOel7FNtqfbtQFz7EMC9O1N0/s1600/QuestionStickGirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTA3mlS4kr2kPdBujrPlnl1kHV1_2pKmC0lxykJAGOB7eOMfcK6AUdAtGObhiO1t8W1Ve-hy8wyfuIj6mAURjtWsKEdwJrUvlAObgBSL6Dz-l3smyTeK9hOel7FNtqfbtQFz7EMC9O1N0/s200/QuestionStickGirl.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>Right from the beginning I was suspicious since I know Google isn't going to "cold call" me for a tiny business like mine unless they're wanting to sell me a useful service like Google Engage, or Apps for Business (which I already had), and anyone calling from Google always identifies themselves and the programs they work with.  So I asked this guy why Google would even care where my site ranked on Bing or Yahoo and there was silence on the other end of the line, and the silence got even deeper when I finally told him that Google wouldn't bother cold-calling me to update my business listing either, and I was a suspicious of his relationship with Google.<br /><br />He asked me if I wanted to be removed from his call list since he didn't think he could help me. (Ha!)  I asked directly what his position in Google was, and he finally admitted he didn't work for Google, but (yeah, there is always a but isn't there?) they were "partners" with Google. Oh really?<br /><br />My final words to the caller: <b><i>Do NOT call me again. </i></b><br /><br />So some of you might still be wondering how all this could possibly have any affect on your Adsense account. If you haven't figured out why this guy was calling me, I'll explain it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4atv5cBvwYjJhlCxAUJ5wFKdNTYK_-INSErAh2NIfMqDbtaA6to3OykgrPnf3S1q4G2w5oAk45fuimGjT2j86Ikxdcpi2riGCzDuMEqIJl_wz5YHV5HFS0JCB7PPVIs3wI1wuxfVfIg/s1600/StickfigureGirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4atv5cBvwYjJhlCxAUJ5wFKdNTYK_-INSErAh2NIfMqDbtaA6to3OykgrPnf3S1q4G2w5oAk45fuimGjT2j86Ikxdcpi2riGCzDuMEqIJl_wz5YHV5HFS0JCB7PPVIs3wI1wuxfVfIg/s200/StickfigureGirl.jpg" width="120" /></a></div>With all his discussion of where my site ranked in all the search engine SERPs it was painfully obvious to me that they would have tried to sell me some sort of "SEO" help ... possibly okay services, but generally if they cold-call you, they're probably desperate for customers (and their money) and might just use methods way outside of anything that's acceptable for a site carrying Adsense.<br /><br /> A word of caution - if you get a call from "Google", you better make sure they really are from Google BEFORE you give them any information at all - and I do mean "any".  Don't even give them your full name. And never buy any SEO services from a cold-caller without checking out their company and services before entering into any contract. This sort of thing is how scammers get your money, and how inexperienced AdSense publishers may have lost their accounts for generating invalid traffic or unauthorized methods of site promotion. Never let any SEO company promote your site unless you do your homework first, and know the methods they'll use are compatible with Adsense policies. Always be involved in the decision-making process; a good SEO company will involve you in everything they do for you, and won't charge an outrageous price for things you can learn yourself; they won't use automated methods for generating traffic; they won't spam forums, blogs or email with your site; they won't submit your site to link farms or link exchanges etc.<br /><br />On a personal level - my opinion on this is simple. If they (SEO companies) can learn how to promote sites using only approved methods (no tricks, no blackhat), then so can I; and, so can you. Visit <a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!forum/webmasters"><b>Webmaster Central</b></a> to get help free - that's why the forum exists. Between<a href="http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/"><b> Webmaster Tools </b></a>help center and the Webmaster Central help forum, you can learn what you need to know to make good decisions for promotion of your own sites.</div>

A Phone Conversation with Google?

So yesterday around the supper hour I received a long distance phone call from an area code I didn't recognize. Generally, spam calls (i...