Safe computing

Reduce your risk

It's important to be on guard against fraud and identity theft every time you use a computer — at home, at a friend's home, and especially at public computer centers.

Strong passwords protect your online privacy

Protecting your health information online is a top priority at Kaiser Permanente. You can help by creating a good, strong password for your kp.org account using these tips:

• Choose a password that is at least 8 characters.
• Do not pick a word from the dictionary.
• Avoid repetition, common sequences of numbers and letters (such as keyboard rows), user names, proper names, birth dates, addresses, parts of Social Security numbers, or anything others might know, discover, or guess.
• Include letters and numbers, and preferably symbols (such as !, @, #, $, %, &) in passwords. Use both capital and lowercase letters if you can.
• Avoid using the same password for multiple sites or purposes. Do not re-use old passwords.
• If you have reason to believe that someone else had access to your password, then change your password.
• If you see signs of strange activity in your account, then change your password and report it to our Web manager.
• Once you have a strong password, don’t share it with anyone and don’t write it down where it might be seen by others.
• Never send your password or any private account information over email.

We don’t require you to change your password regularly, but we strongly recommend you do so at least once a year.

Keeping your computer secure

• Update your computer operating system and browser software to the manufacturer's current recommendations. You can usually get patches over the Web — and alerts about new ones — from the manufacturer.
• Run reliable anti-virus software often, especially when the software tells you there's new virus protection. And don't just keep getting patches — get new versions of the anti-virus software regularly.
• Use reliable anti-spyware tools. Spyware is software designed to gather information about you or allow someone to access your computer without your knowledge. Anti-spyware tools will alert you if someone tries to load spyware onto your computer.
• Don't allow unfamiliar software to be loaded on your computer. If you share your PC with other people, including your children, tell them your rules on downloading and installing software.
• Use personal firewall software to protect your PC from outsiders getting in and information getting out.

Using public computers

• If you use public computers, make sure the computer center is reputable. If the PC isn't properly secured, hardware and software can be changed to capture keystrokes and other data that could reveal your personal information, even if you're using a secure website.
• Check to see that others aren't looking over your shoulder as you enter your PIN or password or look at any personal information.
• Don't check the box to "remember your passwords" or use the other auto-fill features of your browser. Using those features defeats your password's security.

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