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. While some may
be looking to phish your personal information and identity for resale, others
simply just want to use your computer as a platform from which to attack other
unknowing targets. Below are a few easy,
cost-effective steps you can take to make your computer more secure.
1.
Always make backups of important information and store in a safe place
separate from your computer.
2.
Update and patch your operating system, web browser and software
frequently. If you have a Windows operating
system, start by going to www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com
and running the update wizard. This
program will help you find the latest patches for your Windows computer. Also go to www.officeupdate.microsoft.com
to locate possible patches for your Office programs.
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.
Install antivirus software and set for automatic updates so that you
receive the most current versions.
6.
Do not open unknown email attachments.
It is simply not enough that you may recognize the address from which it
originates because many viruses can spread from a familiar address.
7.
Do not run programs from unknown origins. Also, do not send these types of programs to
friends and coworkers because they contain funny or amusing stories or
jokes. They may contain a Trojans horse
waiting to infect a computer.
8.
Disable hidden filename extensions.
By default, the Windows operating system is set to “hide file extensions
for known file types”. Disable this
option so that file extensions display in Windows. Some file extensions will, by default,
continue to remain hidden, but you are more likely to see any unusual file
extensions that do not belong.
9.
Turn off your computer and disconnect from the network when not using
the computer. A hacker can not attack
your computer when you are disconnected from the network or the computer is
off.
10.
Consider making a boot disk on a floppy disk in case your computer is
damaged or compromised by a malicious program.
Obviously, you need to take this step before you experience a hostile
breach of your system.
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