Aug. 31--Surfing the Web is second nature for college students these days, having grown up using computers. But familiarity can breed carelessness, something that hackers increasingly count on.

As students head back to college, experts say they'd be wise to practice safe surfing and protect their personal information and good name.

Most problems stem from "user behavior," said Shawn Sines, IT security outreach specialist at Ohio State University. Students often share personal information or passwords, leaving them to deal with unintended consequences: virus-laden hard drives, identity theft and hacked accounts.

Computer experts say it's not hard to keep your personal information personal and your hard drive clean. Some tips:

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Vaccinate against viruses

Many viruses are unknowingly installed on your hard drive through exchanging information with other people, Web sites and downloading software.

To avoid this, make sure to install antivirus software.

And make sure to keep it up to date, too, said Jeff Kasson, an IT employee at Otterbein College. "You should make sure you check for updates daily, otherwise it's useless. And make sure you install operating system updates as well."

Don't give out personal info

Students are especially vulnerable to losing personal information because they're so active online with e-mail, instant-messaging, Facebook, Twitter and more. Tyler Larkin, lead sales adviser at the Laptop Guy on the Northwest Side, said most of the computers he sees coming in for repairs are a result of people being tricked by e-mail and social media scams.

College IT specialists cautioned against giving out any personal information, including addresses and phone numbers. Hackers commonly glean such data by posing as trusted sources in e-mails, on Facebook or in other contacts and asking for information. Make sure you know exactly who you're replying to or what link you're clicking before giving out information.

Gone phishing?

"Phishing" is one of the most common ways for hackers to get personal information out of computer users. Phishing occurs when hackers masquerade as legitimate entities -- banks, schools, credit-card companies -- and tell users to enter personal information at a fake Web site that also looks real.

OSU's Sines said students should never give out their passwords or personal information because legitimate organizations would never ask you to do so. He said to call the company if you think an e-mail or request is odd. "You can't be too careful. These crooks are smart and they know what we're telling people," Sines said.