- Use Antivirus, Anti Spyware, and a Personal Firewall
- The first thing you should do to protect yourself from online security
threats is to get a good antivirus program, as well as anti spyware
software, and a personal firewall. These products act as your personal
watchdog; constantly scanning your system for known patterns of suspicious
file activity and stopping the “bad stuff” before it has a chance to do any
damage. The easiest and most affordable thing to do is to purchase an
internet security suite. This is a “bundled” package of specialized computer
security software that is designed to work together to provide a “blanket of
protection”.
- The first thing you should do to protect yourself from online security
- Keep Your Operating System and all Applications Up to Date
- Use Microsoft Windows "Automatic Update Service" to ensure you have the
latest hot fixes, security patches, and service packs. These updates
are designed to counter the effects of the latest security threats by
closing newly discovered security "holes" and adding protective enhancements
to your operating system. Windows Update will also keep your Internet
Explorer web browser up to date. - It's important to keep all program applications such as Microsoft
Office, Adobe Reader, Real Player, Flash Player, iTunes, etc... up to date
as well. Hackers and cyber-criminals often find and exploit security
holes in applications, and use this as a way to get into your computer.
Go to the developers website on a regular basis and download the latest
updates to the software you are running. Most new versions of software
include an "auto update" feature that you can turn on to make this an
automatic process.
- Use Microsoft Windows "Automatic Update Service" to ensure you have the
- Never Download Free Screensavers, Games, or Other "Freeware"
Applications
- Free software is notorious for carrying invasive adware and dangerous
spyware that can cripple your system or steal personal information. If
you must download free software, be sure to read the EULA (user license
agreement) carefully. This will often tell you that by installing the
software, you are agreeing to install other applications that deliver
advertising (this is adware). If you don't want this additional
advertising software installed, don't install the software. Adware and
spyware is often difficult to remove, so be careful what you download and
install.
- Free software is notorious for carrying invasive adware and dangerous
- Never Open Email From People You Don't Know
- Un-requested, unsolicited bulk email is called Spam, and usually
contains advertisements for illegal or unsavory products/services. A
lot of spam now contains dangerous phishing scams, which tricks you into
going to fraudulent websites where spyware might be installed without your
knowledge. Many links in phishing emails also take you to fraudulent
sites that are "carbon copies" of legitimate financial institutions.
Attempting to log on to these sites will send your credentials to the
spammer, who will quickly wipe out your account.
- Un-requested, unsolicited bulk email is called Spam, and usually
- Backup Your Data on a Regular Basis
- Hard drives crash every day, with little warning. A computer virus
can quickly corrupt your operating system or damage all your files.
Spyware can cripple a computer so badly that the only way to restore
functionality is to reformat the hard drive. Important files can
accidentally be deleted. These are all good reasons to keep a current
backup copy of all your files. When disaster strikes (and it will
eventually), you can still have access to family photos, term papers, and
other work if you have a copy on CD or a second hard disk. An easy,
inexpensive way to ensure you never lost your files is to use an online
backup service.
- Hard drives crash every day, with little warning. A computer virus
An excellent and affordable internet security suite to consider is Kaspersky
Internet Security. One of the best online data backup services for home users is Carbonite
Online Backup.
