I've talked a lot about PC security in the past, because it's an area that cause heartache, especially with new computer users. Left unprotected, a PC can quickly become the target of hackers and virus-writers and used as a zombie, or you may notice recurring slowdowns of e-mail and Web browsing. If your PC has been infected with a self-replicating network worm, a dormant backdoor Trojan horse or several other types of stealthy programs, you may not notice anything wrong with it at all.
My advice is:
1. Always use a personal firewall. This is software that controls who and what can access your computer from the internet - it acts like the bouncer at a pub, turning away the riff-raff. You can find a list of free firewalls at http://www.free-firewall.org/
2. Buy anti-virus software, like Norton AntiVirus, McAfee VirusScan or ZoneLabs Security Suite, and keep the subscription current. Set the software to automatically check for updates. New computers typically come with a free trial subscription from Norton or McAfee. Normally you must subscribe after the trial period expires to continue getting updates.
3. No software provider will ever send you patches via e-mail. If you get e-mail pretending to be a patch from Microsoft or any other vendor, delete it. Don't trust attachments. If you have even the slightest doubt, delete the email without reading it. In general, if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
4. Set Microsoft Windows Auto-Update to automatically download the latest security patches. You can do this by starting Internet Explorer and looking in the Tools menu for the Windows Update feature. You should also set the software to automatically download and install patches.
5. Back up all of your important files, emails and bookmarks at least once a month. Copy them all to a folder, scan that folder for viruses, then burn it to a CD, so it's safe in case anything happens to your computer.
6. Avoid spyware! This is software that installs itself secretly when you install a program from an unscrupulous vendor, or a shady website. If you have to use Internet Explorer, set it's security level to high from the Tools - Internet Options - Security menu. You should also install, use and regularly update Lavasoft's Ad-Aware (http://www.lavasoft.de/english/default.shtml) and Spybot Search and Destroy (http://spybot.safer-networking.de/en/index.html)
If you have any questions about internet security, please feel free to drop me an email, or post a comment on the On The Net blog at http://www.digitalus.co.nz/onthenet/
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