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1.
Install anti-virus
software and
keep it up-to-date.
If you are
connected
to the Internet
and use e-mail,
it’s
only a matter
of time before
you will contract
a virus –
UNLESS you
have up-to-date
antivirus
software installed.
New
viruses and
threats emerge
daily; that’s
why you have
to make sure
your antivirus
software is
current. I
have seen
several clients
get wiped
out with a
virus because
their virus
definitions
were a week
old. AVG Anti-Virus
offers automatic
updates to
their users.
I strongly
recommend
this option
because you
will never
have to worry
about updating
your virus
software definitions.
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2. Don't open suspicious
e-mail messages from unknown
sources.
A simple rule of thumb is
that if you don't know the
person who is sending you
an e-mail, delete it. That
goes double if it contains
an attachment.
Even
if you do know the person
sending you the e-mail,
open attachments with caution.
It’s best to make
sure your virus protection
is up-to-date and then save
the file to disk and scan
it before opening.
Viruses spread primarily
through e-mail attachments
from friends. Such was the
case with the "I Love
You" virus that spread
to millions of people in
2001. When in doubt, delete!
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| 3.
Set up a firewall
to keep hackers out.
A firewall is simply
a door or a gate that
stands between your
computer and the outside
world. They come in
two forms, software
firewalls that run
on your computer and
hardware firewalls
that protect a number
of computers at the
same time.
Firewalls
work by filtering
out unauthorized or
potentially dangerous
types of data from
the Internet, while
still allowing other
(good) data to reach
your computer. Firewalls
also ensure that unauthorized
persons can't gain
access to your computer
while you're connected
to the Internet. Windows
XP contains its own
software firewall.
To access it and turn
it on, click on Start,
Control Panel, and
then Firewalls.
4.
Use hard-to-guess
passwords.
Passwords are designed
to prevent outsiders
from accessing private
information on your
PC. However, they
will only work if
you keep them private
and make them hard
to guess. To keep
your private information
from prying eyes,
don't share your password
with anyone, change
it every 30-90 days,
and use a strange
word or name that
is meaningless. |
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5. Don't allow file sharing.
Sharing files with strangers
online is dangerous but
widely popular because of
file sharing networks such
as KaZaa. If you are on
this type of network and
allow file sharing, you
are basically giving outsiders
free access to your computer
files and the ability to
give you a virus. Unless
you really need this ability,
turn off file-sharing.
6.
Disconnect from the Internet
when you’re not online.
When you are connected to
the Internet, you are connected
to the outside world. Think
of it as the door to your
house; if you leave it open,
anything can walk through
it (unless you have a firewall).
Disconnecting your computer
from the Internet when you're
not online is like closing
and locking your front door.
It won’t guarantee
that you won’t have
problems, but it will lessen
your chances of getting
a virus or having a hacker
access your PC. |
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7. Back up your computer.
Experienced computer
users know that there
are two types of people:
those who have already
lost data and those
who are going to sometime
in the near future.
The
only way to make sure
you don’t lose
your data is to perform
a complete system
back up every night
or AT LEAST once a
week. I also recommend
having an off-site
back up or storing
your backups in a
fire-proof safe made
for computer disks.
I also highly recommend
that you do a restore
on the data every
so often to make sure
you CAN recover the
data you think you
are backing up.
8.
Download security
updates or patches.
Almost every major
software vendor has
to release updates
and patches to their
software because hackers
love to uncover and
exploit vulnerabilities.
Microsoft is the number
one target for these
attacks and offers
security patches whenever
a known vulnerability
is discovered.
These
vulnerabilities basically
allow a cyber criminal
(hacker) to attack
your computer. When
these bugs are discovered,
the software companies
create patches to
"plug up"
the hole and prevent
unauthorized access
to your PC. That is
why you need to check
your software vendor’s
site frequently for
these updates and
install them on your
PC.
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9.
Scan and remove spyware.
Spyware are programs that
sit undetected on your PC
to track and report your
online activity to advertisers.
These advertisers then use
that information to slam
you with spam, pop ups,
and to hijack your web browser.
Aside from being plain annoying,
some of these programs can
actually steal your private
information such as your
bank account and credit
card numbers, so it’s
best to remove all spyware
on a regular basis. In most
cases, you can track it
down and delete it with
Ad-aware www.lavasoftusa.com
or Spybot Search and Destroy
www.spybotinfo.com. Both
programs are free. If your
data is critical and may
not be properly backed up,
we urge you to contact
us to assess your situation
and safely remove any spyware,
malware, or virus threats
that may be on your computer.
Attempting to resolve the
problems yourself could
and often does result in
data loss!
10.
Make your employees and
family members know these
security rules.
Anyone who touches your
computer should be made
aware of the security rules
outlined in this top 10
list. Take a minute to go
over these rules and even
post them on the wall next
to your PC for all to see.
All it takes is one infected
e-mail or shared file to
cause a world of hurt.
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you got serious about protecting
it from harm. |
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