Computer Security
Computer Security, Internet Security, Network Security are all important facets of maintaining a secure environment for your business and home computing. Spyware, viruses, adware, browser hijackers, keystroke loggers and other threats to the security and integrity of computers and networks continue to increase at a rapid rate.
Home Technology Solutions of Marin helps clients combat these threats through advanced planning and preventative measures and through removing security threats and restoring computers after a security intrusion.
Viruses, worms, spyware, Trojan horses, adware, browser hijackers, keystroke loggers and other forms of malevolent software can cause a wide range of problems and unwanted system behavior. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself.
Why This Issue Is Important to You: Computer security breaches can result in data loss, systems crashes, very slow system performance, files and personal information being taken from your system. In a worst case scenario computer security breaches can lead to identity theft.
Important Computer Security Measures:
There are a number of steps that can be taken to prevent problems from malevolent software such as viruses and spyware. Below is a list of defensive measures you can take.
- Install all Windows updates and Service Packs as they become available.
- Use Internet security software. Antivirus and Internet Firewall software. Internet Security Suite software is the most effective solution as these suites include antivirus, firewall, antispyware, and intrusion prevention modules all in a one package with consistent look and feel.
- Keep your Internet Security software, antivirus software and virus definitions up to date.
- Run a full system scan for viruses, spyware and other forms of malware every week.
- Use a Spam filter for all incoming email.
Step 1. — Microsoft Windows Updates
Microsoft produces software updates for the Windows operating system and Internet Explorer on a regular basis. Updates are free and can be manually downloaded or Windows can be set to automatically download and install them. Many of these updates are computer security updates and include bug fixes, patches for security “holes” and enhancements in functionality.
Periodically Microsoft combines a group of these “updates,” adds some additional functionality and features, and packages them in what is known as a Service Pack (SP). We strongly recommend that you install all service packs. These Updates are important for computer security and Windows security. Without the benefits that these service packs provide your computer will be much more susceptible to problems from instability, degraded performance, and security breaches.
Step 2. – Use Internet Security Software
A. Internet Firewall software
Firewall software acts as a gatekeeper to your PC and monitors which Internet traffic is allowed in and out of your system. It also hides the presence of your PC from online hackers looking for computers to invade and prevents unwanted software from hijacking your PC for malicious purposes. Firewalls, mainly hardware-based, have long been a fixture at large companies which must protect their networks. However, the rapid growth of email and web-based threats has made software firewalls an essential element of protection for home and small business PCs as well.
A common threat that is blocked by firewall software is a Trojan horse. This type of threat can open up a “ backdoor” allowing the program to communicate from your system to other systems and servers, download other malicious software, and transfer data from your system to other systems. The longer a Trojan horse program exists on a system, the more embedded it becomes and the greater the amount of other malicious software it will download. They can seriously corrupt, and even crash a system, sometimes requiring a complete re-installation of the Windows operating system.
B. Antivirus Software and Computer Security
The most well known PC security tool and the one that has been available the longest is antivirus software. The most popular packages include Norton Antivirus, Kaspersky Antivirus, and Trend Micro’s PC-cillin. It is very simple: if you do not have antivirus software, get it ASAP, use it to run regular system scans, and check it periodically to make sure the components are up to date.
A major reason viruses and spyware continue to infect systems is due to some users not updating the virus “definitions” or data files. A virus definition data file is a virus-identification “catalog” which provides the anti-virus software with the information necessary to identify viruses and spyware when they enter your system. Registered users can download up-to-date definitions and apply them to their systems. Most anti-virus software packages provide an “automatic update” feature that will transparently update the virus definition data whenever new updates become available.
There are also a couple very good free antivirus packages such as AVG from Grisoft and Avast Home Edition from ALWIL Software. However having an integrated internet security package (Internet Security Suite) that includes antivirus, firewall, intrusion detection, and other security features in a common interface is generally the most effective security solution.
C. Anti-Spyware and Spyware Removal Software
“Spyware” is a type of malicious software that ends up on users’ systems without the user’s knowledge or consent. Spyware can create major computer security and network security problem as it transmits or redirects data from your system to another system or web site via the Internet. In the vast majority of situations, this happens without the user’s knowledge. Systems that are used by children consistently have the highest concentration of spyware.
The best Internet Security Suites will catch and remove spyware and other malicious software without the need for additional software. If your spyware problems are sifnificant there are also a number of standalone spyware detection and removal programs available. Some free malware removal products can run in a mode similar to anti-virus or Internet security software where they are loaded at the time the system is started and continually monitor the system to prevent new spyware from being loaded. Most free anti malware products do not run in this mode.
Step 3. Spam Filtering and Blocking for Computer Security
A very significant percentage of viruses, spyware, and other malicious software get on computers via unwanted and unrequested email. Call it spam or call it junk, but you can definitely call it nasty and an ongoing computer security problem. Have a good spam blocking program and have it set to a high enough level. Some email packages such as Outlook, Yahoo mail and Gmail have built in spam blocking/capturing functionality. If your email program does not provide effective spam blocking there are a number of effective and relatively inexpensive spam blocking programs available.
Spam filters are not 100% effective and some junk will get through, so it best to follow some email self-protection rules of thumb. Do not open email or email attachments unless you know who they are from. Never download an attached file from an email that you weren’t expecting to receive. Never click on “Unsubscribe” on an email that you suspect to be spam or junk mail. This will just tell spammers that your email address is active and you will likely end up getting more junk mail. Never click on an email attachment with an .exe file extension such as “myfile.exe”. These are program files and clicking on them will begin running a program that could be nasty. Never click on a link within a suspected spam email – just delete the message immediately.
Step 4. Hardware Firewall Security for Directly Connected Broadband Connections
Computer users with a broadband Internet connection such as a cable modem or DSL connection that are not on a local (private) network have a direct Internet connection and a public IP address on the Internet. Using a hardware firewall for network security adds an easy-to-use added level of protection. If you have a network in your home or office you most likely already have a hardware firewall built into your router that links your multiple PCs. Wireless router products manufacturers such as Netgear, Linksys and D-Link provide excellent protection against external security threats.
Step 5. – Diligence – Keep All Components Up to Date!
Most of your security components require periodic updating and most are updated automatically. However, it is highly recommended that you check occasionally to make sure that these updates are taking place and that your components are up-to-date. New viruses, spyware and other security threats are released almost daily. If your software expires or gets out-of-date, your system becomes susceptible to new threats.
An Ounce of Prevention…
Use computer security and Internet security products. The Good Old Days before users needed all this “protection stuff” are gone. While state and federal governments are trying to control some of these problems through laws and legislation, it is a rather slippery slope and it changes rapidly. The reality is that with the advent of the Internet you are not just concerned with security attacks coming just from within the United States. As the term World Wide Web implies you are connected to any point in the World. Security attacks can come from Romania, Cambodia, Nigeria, Russia, or any other point in the world – many places where U.S laws have little effect. That old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” definitely holds true with computer security.
