 |
Safe Conduct
Even though you can never completely eliminate the threat of contracting a computer virus, there are certainly ways in which way you can drastically reduce the chances of it. If you adhere to the following Safe Conduct rules…
A. Scan your computer on a regular basis. You need to know whether your computer is exposed or not, right away. No matter what software you have. Take advantage of the SECURITY SCAN and perform it on a monthly basis.
B. Get a Privacy Protection software. Some products offer privacy and security protection. That means they close the security holes in your computer, alert you to settings changes done by malicious software. Such changes could be used by intruders to gain access to your machine either to use it for their own purposes or for stealing your private information.
C. Run your antivirus monthly. Just because you purchased one, doesn’t mean you are protected. You must put it to use on a regular basis. That way you are keeping up with the new virus threats. Some products offer automatic updates for a small subscription fee. It may be worth it to those who will not remember to run in regularly.
D. Be wary of attachments. Whether it’s from unknown sources or from your friends. Train your eye by spotting red flags such as general text “Here is the attachment” or suspicious “from” addresses.
E. Be wary of downloads. Don’t download software from sites you are not familiar with.
F. Be wary of spyware. It tracks your movements online and delivers advertisements based on the types of website you visit.
G. Keep thy operating system patched. E-mail-borne worms and other scourges like to exploit security holes in your software--namely Windows and other Microsoft programs. These days Microsoft issues so many critical updates to fix these flaws that many users ignore them. Don't. Last January, the Slammer worm exploited a vulnerability that Microsoft had fixed more than six months before. But thousands of infected computers--including some at Microsoft--didn't have the patch installed. Run the Windows Update program once a week and whenever Microsoft issues a warning.
"Until we see automated patch management software, users will simply have to stay up to date," says Thor Larholm, senior security researcher at PivX Solutions.
H. Make a rescue disk. When your system is failing, a boot or rescue disk is your first step to recovery. You should put the basic elements of your oUse your antivirus program to create a rescue disk you can use when your system gets infected.
I. Get a firewall. A firewall is like the customers officer of your computer--it checks every passport at the entry port and won't let anything in or out until you give the thumbs up. So a hacker can't access personal information on your hard drive, and a Trojan horse keystroke logger (a stealth program that monitors the characters you type) can't steal your passwords and transmit them over the Net.
J. Back up regularly! Back up your data files at least weekly or monthly and daily if you're running a business.
Back to Security Center
|
|
|
