Restrict access to your e-gold account

e-gold's Account Sentinel™ (a.k.a. AccSent™) enhances the security of your e-gold account by enabling you to direct the circumstances under which your account may be accessed. AccSent was designed to provide you an additional level of protection in the event your passphrase is compromised due to poor security practices on your part (we hope this does not describe you!). However, AccSent's features should not be regarded as diminishing the importance of reading and practicing ALL of the recommendations on this page.

Do not click links in unsolicited email messages
Do not fill out forms in e-mail messages

• e-mail may not be from who it claims to be from (i.e. spoofed). Many common Internet frauds start with spoofed e-mail.
• Viruses can be delivered to your computer by simply looking at a web page using a vulnerable web browser.
  

Verify website identity before entering passphrase

Fraudulent "phishing" websites designed to trick you into divulging your passphrase or other sensitive information are common. Spoofed e-mail (see above) is commonly used to lure victims to phishing websites. Never assume that a website is the website you intended to be at based on its appearance. Before entering your e-gold passphrase, ensure you are at the real e-gold website by:

• Checking for an active padlock in the browser status bar.
• Checking the browser location bar for a site name beginning with (exact spelling is critical): https://www.e-gold.com/
• Checking the SSL certificate being using for for appropriate "Issued To", "Issued By", and Thumbprint fields. At the e-gold web site, these values are:
  

  Issued to:	www.e-gold.com
  Issued by:	VeriSign
  Valid from:	11/20/2006 to 12/1/2009
  Thumbprint:	FFA3 FDFE 7271 7872 B9E1 48B7 5C7D E7EC CFF6 ACF4

Keep your operating system and applications updated

Use Windows Update to make sure you have the latest security patches installed. Also check for updates to your application programs, especially Microsoft Office.

Use a hardware and/or software firewall

A firewall can protect your computer from malicious traffic. A hardware firewall/router (such as the many offerings of companies like Linksys, D-Link, SMC, and others) acts as a barrier between the outside world and your computer. A software firewall, such as ZoneAlarm, performs that function to a lesser degree but can also block malicious programs on your computer from sending data out to the Internet. Windows XP includes a simple firewall, but it is disabled by default. The free version of ZoneAlarm does a very nice job.

Do not run untrusted applications

Running any program that arrives via email or that was downloaded from the Internet can be dangerous. Only run applications that you wish to grant complete access to your computer and the data contained on it.

Upgrade to a better web browser

You're already using Better Money^TM - now choose a better browser. Mozilla's Firefox is available for almost every operating system and has many security and privacy advantages. Try "tabbed browsing". Manage your cookies. Block pop-up windows. The features are many, but the cost is low - in fact free. (Note that e-gold donations are accepted by the Mozilla Foundation).

Use an Anti-Virus program

If you follow all of the the above recommendations a virus will have difficulty infecting your computer. However, since a computer virus can be a vehicle for a criminal to gain total control of your computer and thereby any information stored on, sent by, or received by your computer, it is prudent to install antivirus software from a reputable source and run it regularly. Since new viruses are discovered daily, it is important to keep antivirus software and the virus definitions it uses for detection up to date at all times.

Educate yourself

Become a smarter computer user with regard to security issues. Here are a few places to start: