Home | Computers
Computers are increasingly used for everything from communication to online banking and even for investing and shopping. The bad news is that we are opening ourselves up to the dangers of hackers, attackers and crackers when we do these things on a regular basis. While some may be looking to phish your personal information and identity for resale, others just want to use your computer as a platform from which to attack other unknowing targets. There are inexpensive steps that can be taken to make your computer more secure. Here are twelve critical precautions to take now. 1. Important information should always be backed up and kept in a secure location away from the computer. 2. Update and patch your operating system, web browser and software frequently. 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. Set the browser and email configuration on your computer for optimum security. Hackers frequently use Active-X and JavaScript to insert harmful programs into your computers. Cookies are pretty harmless, but they do keep track of what you do online and build a profile of information about you. It is recommended that you choose your security settings for the internet zone to be at High, and the settings for trusted sites zone to Medium Low. (These are the minimum recommendations, and you can set your security higher, if you wish to do so.) 5. Install antivirus software and set it for automatic updates so that you receive the most current versions. 6. Don't open email attachments from unknown sources. Knowing the person who sent you the message is not sufficient, as even the account of someone you know may inadvertently pass on a computer virus to you. So be cautious of ANYTHING that you open! 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 Trojan 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. When you are not using it, you should sign off the network and turn the computer off. When you disconnect from the network and turn your computer off, a hacker will have no way to harm your computer. 10. To protect your computer from a malicious program, you should think about copying a boot disk on a floppy disc, so you will have it saved. Obviously, this is something you need to do this BEFORE your system is compromised. 11. You should never allow access to your computer by anyone, unless you okay them to use it first. Letting other people use your computer can result in a breach of your computer's security, so beware if you keep personal information on your computer, and then let family members or coworkers use it. They may accidentally compromise the security of your system. 12. Use strong passwords. Pick passwords that people would have a hard time guessing. Often-used password phrases are names of kids and animals, as well as important dates like anniversaries and birthdays. Since there are passwords required for all you do on the computer, some people generally use the same one over and over. That is not the best move! If you only use one password, a hacker can get into all of your personal information. In the event that you find it absolutely necessary to record your passwords, be sure it is not on a note attached to your monitor! This may seem funny to you, but it is something many people do. And it's a bad idea for obvious reasons!
Article Source: http://www.rightarticle.com
Jason Mann is editor of the Technology Basics Section at i-KnowHow | Information for Life, where you'll also find ideas and tips for hobbies, home and garden, personal finance, family and much more.
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
Powered by Article Dashboard
