Securing Your Computer System
Today, more and more people are using their computers for everything from communication to online banking, and investing to shopping. As we do these things on a more regular basis, we open ourselves up to potential hackers, attackers and crackers.
Phishing for personal information to steal your identity and hijacking your computer to attack others are daily threats on the internet.
Here are 12 simple steps to securing your computer, that won’t hit you hard in the pocketbook.
1. Make a backup copy of information that is important to you, and keep it separate from your computer.
2. Update and patch your operating system, web browser and software frequently.
3. Install a firewall. Without a good firewall, viruses, worms, Trojans, malware and adware can all easily access your computer from the Internet. Consideration should be given to the benefits and differences between hardware and software based firewall programs.
4. Review your browser and email settings for optimum security. Why should you do this? Active-X and JavaScript are often used by hackers to plant malicious programs into your computers. While cookies are relatively harmless in terms of security concerns, they do still track your movements on the Internet to build a profile of you. At a minimum set your security setting for the “internet zone” to High, and your “trusted sites zone” to Medium Low.
5. Make sure you have antivirus software installed and that it is set to receive automatic updates. Automatic updates insure you are protected from the latest viruses.
6. Don’t open email attachments from unknown sources. Knowing the person who sent you the message is not sufficient, as even the account of someone you know may inadvertently pass on a computer virus to you. So be cautious of ANYTHING that you open!
7. Programs should not be run if you do not know the origins. These should not be passed on to friends and coworkers. Along with funny or amusing stories or jokes, they could also contain a Trojan horse waiting to infect your computer.
8. If you have hidden file name extensions you should disable them. If the default setting has not been changed, then Windows will automatically ‘hide file extensions for known file types.” To allow Windows to show file extensions, disable this option. Some will stay hidden, but you will also be able to catch some unusual file extensions that don’t belong.
9. When you are not using it, you should sign off the network and turn the computer off. When you disconnect from the network and turn your computer off, a hacker will have no way to harm your computer.
10. You should be prepared in case a malicious program causes damage to your computer by making a boot disk for your computer on a floppy disk or CD. This should obviously be done before your system is breached.
11. You should never allow access to your computer by anyone, unless you okay them to use it first. Letting other people use your computer can result in a breach of your computer’s security, so beware if you keep personal information on your computer, and then let family members or coworkers use it. They may accidentally compromise the security of your system.
12. Use strong passwords. Passwords should be hard for others to figure out. Using the names of children and pets or dates that are important to you should not be done. Do not use the same password for everything that you need a password for. While some people do this, it is dangerous as it makes the hacker’s job easier and gives them access to all kinds of personal information about you. When you write down a password, never leave it in the open. Instead, put it somewhere that only you can find it. You may be laughing but you would be surprised at how may people leave their passwords out in plain sight.
Filed under: Computers & Technology