| 18 Dec 2008 - Keeping Your Computer Safe - Top 10 Tips |
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| With all the coverage at the moment of the vulnerabilities discovered in Microsoft Internet Explorer, and the critical updates being made available to a wide number of applications, I thought I'd take a quick moment to list the top ten tips for PC/Online security. 1. Set your computer to AUTOMATICALLY download all Windows Updates This is a very simple thing to do. No matter what your version of windows, a little patience and you can set Windows to download all necessary updates as soon as they are available. Simply go to your Windows Control Panel (Click START, then CONTROL PANEL – or START, SETTING then CONTROL PANE) Find the Security Center – and click AUTOMATIC UPDATES. Check the box next to AUTOMATIC, and click OK. Whenever Microsoft releases updates to your version of Windows, Office or Internet Explorer, these will be automatically downloaded. 2. Run and keep updated a quality Anti-Virus software solution No Matter which product you use,it will be rendered useless unless like Windows, you enable Automatic Updates. Check with your software provider, however Norton, Trend, McAffe, Nod32 and Windows One Care are all excellent products which allow for automatic updates. 3. Run and keep updated a quality Anti-Malware (Anti-Spyware) software solution As with Anti-Virus, Investing in Anti-Malware or Anti-Spyware is essential in this day and age. Windows Defender is an excellent Solution, as are the products from the companies above. Most importantly you must keep it updated. 4. Check for Updates in ALL your software Microsoft are not the only company to suffer security scares. ANY product you have will have (most likely in the HELP menu) a CHECK FOR UPDATES option. Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome are great examples of this. Don’t assume anything is SAFE, keep them updated too, and often that is a manual process 5. Install a Firewall A Firewall is an invisible brick wall between your computer and the outside world. Setup properly, a firewall will allow YOU to surf the internet, but will not allow malicious attacks to hit your computer,or for your computer to cause damage outside your network if affected. Software Firewalls (Windows Firewall – Start, Control Panel, Security, Windows Firewall) are good first defences, but if you want to get serious, install a Hardware Firewall, which is essential a physical device. Many home Modem/Router combinations include a firewall, so check your device and ENABLE the firewall if it exists. 6. Regularly change any online passwords If someone does manage to steal your online password, be it for your email, your bank, or whatever it is – what good is it if you change it? Useless – So – make a rule, make a note in your diary – to CHANGE that password – ESPECIALLY your INTERNET BANKING login password regularly! 7. NEVER Respond to or CLICK links within emails from Banks Banks NEVER send emails which require a response. In fact MOST banks do NOT communicate at ALL by email. Emails can be disguised with ease, so even if it LOOKS like your bank – It’s 99% likely to be a FAKE. Clicking an link in one of these emails, or responding with your password WILL give someone acesss to your account. The Simple rule is NEVER Click a link in a bank email, and NEVER EVER respond to a bank email. 8. Use pop-up blockers in all your Internet Browsers Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google’s Chrome all include POP UP BLOCKERS. Not only do these stop the annoying ADS, they also stop dodgy websites launching these malicious software codes on your computer. Use them – and allow pop-ups on a case by case basis 9. Never open unsolicited emails, or attachments you are unsure of or were not expecting If you get an email from someone and it’s too good to be true – delete it If you get an email from someone you don’t know asking you to read the attached or open this funny attachment –delete it If you get an email from someone you KNOW and it seems weird, or just has an attachment, delete it – or at the very least CALL them and check. Most virus attacks will gather YOUR email contact list, and then send emails to YOUR contacts which look like they are from YOU – thus the ability to trick people. Think twice, its as simple as that 10. When Shopping Online, check the Security of the site – and ALWAYS check your credit card statement. NEVER enter your credit card details into a site that does NOT have that little security lock on it. If you don’t trust it – don’t do it. AND, check your credit card statements EVERY month. If you see something you DIDN’T DO – call your bank. You CAN get the money back and are entitled to it if the purchases were unauthorised. Good luck - and please, don't be afraid of doing things online, just use the same caution you would in the 'real world'! |
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