Accessing computers in public places, when necessary has its own risks which every user should be aware of to take necessary precautions.

Guidelines to be followed while accessing public systems :

• Never pass or tell the Cyber Cafe Owner or anyone else about your email and password to check your e-mail.

Fact : surveys say that small kids or many old aged persons have no idea about the risks of information theft.

• If you store or download any personal information on Desktop in cyber cafe make sure you delete all the documents after you complete your work. Disable the option “Remember my ID on the computer” and use Strong Password.

• When surfing the Internet, you should always check  the browser security like default download folder, cookies and password save locations etc., to avoid risks of exposing personal information. As a precaution use Incognito Mode of the browser to avoid storing your personal details in the cookies.

• A keylogger is basically spyware, it  logs or records your keystrokes so that your username and password are made available to Cyber cafe owner or any Attacker. The records you enter maybe typed directly into Hacker’s machine or collected afterwards through a file transfer.Always check if  there is an intermediate device between your keyboard and CPU. Where ever possible, prefer using on screen keyboards. 

• Ensure that that the system you are using has most up-to-date Anti Virus and Anti spam software. These may help to stop some of the key loggers, Trojans and other malware. You can insist cyber cafe Owner to allocate you a computer loaded with updated antivirus software.

• Do not leave the computer unattended with sensitive information on the screen. Remember to check Downloads folder for automatically saved files.

• Do not enter sensitive information into a public computer.

• Look for camera facing your keyboard to monitor your key strokes. There can be hidden cameras also for such shoulder surfing. Be cautious.

• Finally, Always make sure to logout from all the applications you are using and close the browser properly when you leave Cyber cafe.