Here, I’m not talking about a security guard post where you wear some faux cop uniform and a tin badge. You don’t need pounds of skill to work that kind of beat. I’m talking about the upscale security work, where you get to wear a suit and your biggest concern won’t be handing out parking passes. Corporate business parks, hotels and casinos, entertainment establishments, private estate security, and the like.

Based on my experience in the field and some good and bad examples I’ve observed, a few pointers:

Be in reasonable physical shape
You’re playing a hard enough game already by being a private security figure, which some scoffers already discredit as being a “rent-a-cop” or “hired goon”.

Several years of intense Web experience has taught us that the Internet is a lot like the wild west. The sheriffs are few and far between. It’s easy to get hoodwinked or shot in the back - figuratively, of course. You can lose your, um, shirt. Jumping into the Internet today is a lot like a tin-horn walking into a western bar and asking a poker dealer, “How do ya play this game, mister?”

Not only are there phishing scams, Nigerian princes (and their many variants), spam, adware, and viruses, but there are other insidious pitfalls as well.

Charity fraud can do and does do a lot of harm. The con artist takes advantage of the generosity of people and good intentions by taking their cash, money thwarted that was meant for people in need. You can make sure that any money you give gets into the right hands. Just remember these tips when somebody asks you for a donation.

1] Ask for identification, for the organization AND the solicitor. Find out what the purpose of the charity is and how funds are used.

2] Ask if contributions are tax deductible.

3] Important! If you are not satisfied with the answer, do not give.

These tools help protect your computer from being hacked into, from someone sending a virus to your computer and even someone getting into your personal files and programs that are protected.

You need some kind of anti-virus software installed, along with anti-spy ware software installed too. Always keep your operating system on your computer up-to-date. It is a good idea to check every time you log on and make sure your firewalls are turned in the on position too, this is a good security measure to do.

The Defender for Windows is a free Microsoft anti-spy ware program.