From my experiences providing user support I’ve noticed that there tend to be just a few areas that cause the majority of security threats to a person’s computer. I’ve also found that there are some simple actions that can be taken to help protect computers while surfing the internet, doing research, playing games, or any other task that you can think of.
Internet Links – Many of the virus, spyware, or malware infections that I come across have been started by clicking on an internet link that the user did not recognize. Today links can be disquised to look like anything that the sender wants. It can mask the real address with a fake one and then send somebody to a website that was not expected. By my estimation about 90% of all infections come from clicking on links or buttons on the internet.
This is not to say that you cannot click on any links, there just has to be some knowledge as to the nature of the link before it is clicked on. My general rule of thumb, is to not click on links from people you do not know, or if it is from somebody you know pay attention to the language around the link to determine if they actually sent it. If you can not distinguish that it is really them, then do not click the link. Just recently a very serious malware attack was launched where people that you know get infected and then it automatically sends the same thing to all of their friends. This is a very serious form of attack and can spread rapidly.
Firewalls -These devices provide protection to your network and computer in the form of a virtual wall that prevents access to certain areas of the network. Just think about a tall brick wall with doors in it and only the doors that are needed are opened, the rest is shut and locked. This is how a firewall works.
Almost every device that you put on an internet network these days has a firewall built in to it. The modem that you receive from the dsl or cable company has one, the wireless router that you use to access the internet wirelessly has one, and even your personal computer has one. There is no need to purchase a seperate device or software package for a firewall unless there are specific reasons for it. Often times the purchased device can cause problems for your internet browsing because the computer then becomes too secure and closes the doors that you want to use. The devices already in place, on your network, will provide adequate firewall protection.
Antivirus – There are a wide variety of antivirus solutions out there, and many are free to use at home. The free antivirus programs out there such as AVG Free and Avast! will provide the protection needed to protect the computer from infection. Today there are more than just viruses that can cause problems and most antivirus solutions provide protection to the wide range of infections that can occur.
I hope that this guide has helped and I will continue to update this with more information and attempt to keep the current information just that, current. Please check back later for more information. Also feel free to use the Contact page to send me any comments, questions, or requests.
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