Ten Simple Steps To Making Your Computer More Secure
More people
are using their computers for everything from communication to online banking
and investing to shopping. As we do
these things on a more regular basis, we open ourselves up to possible hackers,
attackers and crackers. While some may
be looking to phish your personal information and identity for resale, others
merely just want to use your computer as a platform from which to assault other
unknowing targets. Below are straightforward, cost-effective steps you can take to make your
computer more secure.
1.
Do make backups of
important information and store in a safe place separate from your computer.
2.
Do update and patch your
operating system, web browser and software frequently. If you have a Windows operating system,
start by going to www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com
and running the update wizard. This
program will help you find the latest patches for your Windows computer. Also, go to www.officeupdate.microsoft.com
to locate possible patches for your Office programs.
3.
Do 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.
Do review your browser
and email settings for optimum security.
Why should you do this? Active-X
and JavaScript are often used by hackers to plant malicious programs into your
computers. While cookies are relatively
harmless in terms of security concerns, they do still track your movements on
the Internet to build a profile of you.
At a minimum set your security setting for the “internet zone” to High,
and your “trusted sites zone” to Medium Low.
5.
Do install anti-virus
software and set for automatic updates so that you receive the most current
versions.
6.
Do not open unknown
email attachments. It is simply not
enough that you may recognize the address from which it originates because many
viruses can spread from a familiar address.
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 Trojans horse waiting to infect a computer.
8.
Do 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.
Do turn off your
computer and disconnect from the network when not using the computer. A hacker cannot attack your computer when
you are disconnected from the network or the computer is off.
10.
Do consider making a
boot disk on a floppy disk in case your computer is damaged or compromised by a
malicious program. Obviously, you need
to take this step before you experience a hostile breach of your system.
These are just some of the
simple methods to make your computer a more secure system and reduce the risk
of inviting an unwelcome intruder into your home computing system. The more knowledge you obtain about PC
protection, the better you will be able to prevent these malicious programs.
Larry Cockerham is the owner of RegistryMend.com, the complete guide to buying a registry cleaner and restoring your computer's registry.
Download Your Free Scan From RegCure.com, One of the Top Registry Cleaners On the Market Today!
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