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| *Introduction* The personal computer (PC) has become an important tool for all of us in both our personal and business lives. It can be a helpful, time and money saving tool that provides us with a wealth of information and a means of communication. It can also be frustrating and potentially expose us to people looking to do us harm primarily via theft. Below, I share with you some basic tips for keeping your computer and personal information safe so that the use of your computer will be one that allows you to accomplish everything you need to do in an efficient manner. There are various software programs, most of them are free, mentioned below. The websites TUCOWS.com or Download.com have been very reliable for me in evaluating and downloading software. You should obviously read very carefully the instructions for usage of any software before you download or install it on your PC. When items such as viruses, spam, spy ware, and phishing are discussed, please keep in mind these are all separate security risks and software that addresses one item very likely will not address other item(s). When you install software to protect your PC, it is very important to check for updates to the software on a weekly basis. Even more important, run the software to check for problems. It is usually quick and easy. The program will usually operate in the background while you are doing something else on your PC. What good is having the software if you do not update it and check your computer? Learn from someone who got burned once and will do everything possible to prevent it from ever happening again. *Games & Children* If you are going to allow your children to install and play games on-line, download videos and music, save yourself time and aggravation and just purchase a PC for the kids. Do not let them undertake these activities on your PC. It is nearly as reliable as clock-work that kids and teenagers can clog-up a PC with all sorts of "stuff" that will eventually render the PC useless. *Internet Web Browsers* The most popular web browser is Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Most people use this as it is the default browser on their computer as it is built-in to the software operating system provided by Microsoft. Microsoft appears to be doing a better job of updating the software to correct both operational and security problems. Since approximately 90% of computer users use Microsoft Internet Explorer, it is also the choice of the unsavory characters on the Internet looking to do evil. My preferred browser is Firefox by Mozilla, which I use for 95% of the time. It was easy to download and works well with almost every website I use. Most PC experts believe Firefox is less prone to security threats since the bad guys prefer to target the more popular Microsoft's browser. *Anti-Virus and Firewall Programs* A virus is a program that is installed on your PC usually designed to damage the computer's software so that the computer is useless. These are programs designed by people just trying to do damage that costs all users money to fix. Unless, you have an anti-virus program that finds and deletes the virus, you could be in trouble. Once the virus activates, the first thing it usually does is de-activate your anti-virus program. The fix is an expensive one for a PC with a virus. It usually involves re-formatting the hard drive along with reinstalling the operating system software (from Microsoft or Apple). You usually lose all programs and files you had stored on your computer. A firewall is a software program that prevents unauthorized outsiders from seeing your computer. For example, a thief in Europe could enter your computer while you are on line and look for personal information of yours. The firewall is designed to keep the bad guys out of your PC. The two most popular programs that prevent and destroy viruses are by sold by McAfee and Norton. Each also offer a firewall program, although there are many of other choices available. You should use only one anti-virus program as if more than one program is installed, they can interfere with the operation of your PC. *Spyware* As technology has become more sophisticated, programs have been developed to extract information from your PC with or without doing damage to the computer. Some spy ware programs are designed to simply redirect your browser to a website without your permission. Other more complex software programs search for information on your PC and automatically send it back to the person who planted the spyware. These are the really bad programs that endanger your privacy and personal information. You should have at least three anti-spyware programs on your PC and run them each once a week. It is quick and easy. Many programs can be downloaded for free. Microsoft offers a free program as do Google and some other software firms. The three that I use are Spybot, Ad-Aware, and McAfee. *Spam* Otherwise known as junk e-mail that solicits you with ads. Most of it is an annoyance, however you should always have your suspicion raised when receiving e-mail from an unknown source. Some Spam could have spy ware or a virus attached. Many e-mail programs allow you to filter your e-mail and they can block the Spam before it even gets through to you. If you do not know the sender, either delete the e-mail or be very careful when opening it. *Phishing & Pharming* This is a more sophisticated version of Spam as it attempts to target individual users into revealing information that could compromise their privacy or financial information. For example, an e-mail is sent that looks like is comes from a trusted vendor or website. It will usually direct you to a fictitious web site (you would be amazed at the fake websites that look just like the authentic e-Bay or Amazon websites). They then ask for your personal information and once you enter it on the website you have turned over your confidential information to thieves. Always look for "https" in the address line to ensure you are logging into a secure website. The "s" is the key to a secure website. Never reply to an e-mail that directs you to a website. Financial service firms and reliable websites will not contact you and ask for personal information. *Passwords* Computer hackers and other bad guys are becoming more sophisticated. One of the easiest ways to protect yourself is by using a password that contains both letters and numbers. You should not use names, your Social Security number, or any word that can be found in a dictionary. *Back It Up!* If it is important, you should regularly make a back-up file. Consider how expensive and time consuming it would be to recreate an important file that you lost. How about your digital pictures? You have many options as to how to back-up a file. The easiest and most convenient would be to copy files to either a CD-ROM or a flash drive. You should then store the back-up disk in a place that is temperature, fire, and waterproof such as a safe. Have two back-up disks so that it is easy to swap them. One by your PC and one in the safe. Every few days, back-up your important files and just switch the disks. Another option is to store information on line. Mozy, Carbonite, Google and Yahoo! provide services to store documents on-line. Just be careful as to the sensitivity of information stored on-line as you would not want it to fall into the hands of the evil doers. |
Basic Computer Safety & Security Tips
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