Ways for online privacy....

REUTERS - Here are 10 ways to keep personal information secure when online:
1) Favour common sense over technological solutions. Keep personal documents safe, preferably in a locked drawer. Shred bank statements, credit card slips and bills before throwing them away.
2) If it's too good to be true, it is. Never open unsolicited "spam" messages. Delete e-mails offering cash, free gifts or stock tips. Millions of unsolicited "spam" messages are sent every day in an attempt to defraud computer users.
3) Basic prevention helps. Protect your computer against identity theft. Install security software to combat viruses, spyware and spam and keep it updated.
4) Know enough about your firewall, the barrier between the public Internet and a personal computer, to know when it is working and when it isn't. Don't worry about the geeky complexity of it all, just know it's operating.
5) Beware of "phishing", where criminals trick people into revealing personal or financial details, often by sending e-mails purporting to be from a bank. Never casually reply to requests for your personal financial details.
6) Keep your private e-mail address secure. Consider using different e-mail accounts for shopping, banking, friends and work. There are many free account providers.
7) Do not use the same password for different sites. Choose passwords with a mix of letters, numbers and symbols. Don't use obvious passwords, such as your first name or "123456" and don't write them down. For memory's sake, choosing a basic root word, then rotating numbers, is safer.
8) Make online payments safely. Never enter a card number unless there is a padlock in the Web browser's frame, rather than the Web page. The Web address should begin with "https" -- the extra "S" stands for "secure". Consider reserving one credit card for Web use or signing up for a separate online payment service like PayPal.
9) Secure your wireless network at home and be wary when using public access points. Encrypt the connection to scramble communications over the network. Turn off the wireless network when you're not using it.
10) Treat your laptop computer like cash -- never leave it in a locked car or turn your back while using it in a public place. The same holds true with your mobile phone: Lock your phone (and any passwords you keep on it) when not using it.
For more on privacy, see http://uk.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/onlinePrivacy
(Sources: Britain's Home Office (interior ministry); Get Safe Online, a government-backed British Internet security advice Web site; OnGuardOnline.gov, a site run by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission; www.diyonlinesecurity.co.uk)

10 Commandments for Success..!!

Here are ten points gleaned from the writings of Sri Swami Sivananda, which can lead any individual towards success in their chosen path in life. These guidelines have the power to benefit you - physically, mentally and spiritually.
1. Have a simple and unassuming manner of life.
2. Live not to eat, but eat to live.
3. Bear no envy. Commit no slander. Speak no falsehood. Practise no deceit. Harbor no malice. You will be ever joyful, happy and peaceful.
4. Righteousness is the rule of life. Lead a virtuous life. Strictly adhere to Dharma. Human life is not human without virtues. Study the lives of saints and draw inspiration from them.
5. Cultivate a melting heart, the giving hand, the kindly speech, the life of service, equal vision, and impartial attitude.
Your life will, indeed, be blessed.
6. Lead a regulated life. Take hold of each day as if it were the last day, and utilize every second in prayer, meditation and service. Let your life become a continuous sacrifice to God.
7. Live in the present. Forget the past. Give up hopes of the future.
8. Understand well the meaning of life, and then start the quest.
9. Life is thy greatest gift. Utilize every second profitably.
10. Success often comes to those who dare and act. It seldom comes to the timid.
May you all attain success in life!

- Swami Sivananda--

INTEGRITY THROUGH TRUST AND CARING

When I was a freshman at College, I needed to send my oboe through the mail to have some repair work done. I was really worried about mailing it; my first oboe teacher had sold the instrument to me, and I didn’t want it to be damaged. A friend told me that I could insure it through UPS, and directed me to a small neighborhood business called “Touchette” that did UPS insurance. I took the bus downtown, oboe in my lap, and when I arrived at the store the proprietor was very kind and reassuring. He helped me package the oboe as well as possible, and was able to insure it. However, the total cost was $30, and I had only brought $20 with me. My heart sank at the thought of squeezing another bus ride into my hectic schedule when he said. “That’s OK, I trust you. Just give me your name and number, and pay me the rest when you get the chance.” I was astounded. Who had heard of a business owner just volunteering to trust someone like that? That act of kindness stuck in my memory and still reminds me that integrity is built through trust and caring for one another’s needs.