Security and Virus Prevention at Home
Security and Virus Prevention at Home..
Two things every computer owner should do immediately, are; first - run antivirus and spyware scanning software on every computer, and make sure it is set up to receive automatic updates. If your update memberships that came with your new computer have expired, it should be a priority to renew it.Secondly, if you are running Windows 2000 or XP, you should be receiving critical software fixes from Microsoft's Windows Update service. In Windows XP, you configure this by opening the system control panel and selecting the Automatic Updates tab; in 2000, open the Automatic Updates control panel. If you can deal with the notion that your computer may reboot itself after installing an update, choose the scheduled install option.
If you opt for manual installation, be sure to install the upgrades as soon as they arrive.
Now... you're next step is a little trickier. Is it sufficient to place a hacker-blocking firewall at the point where a local network, home or business, connects to the Internet? Not really anymore. Firewalls don't stop infected mail attachments or file downloads from services like KaZaA. The best plans of action against these vulnerabilities are a good spyware scanner like our 'people's choice', your antivirus software, a firewall, and some good old common sense when it comes to Online activities.
If a worm does get inside your PC, it can spread rapidly. Microsoft recommends protecting small networks with the additional Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) built into Windows XP. This works, but at the price of crippling your network. Worms and viruses can't get past an ICF, but you won't be able to swap some files within your home network or print some documents. If you are a regular file swapper, or downloader, you might want to consider enabling those functions only for the very short time that you are actually using them, rather than leaving those ports open at all times.
Some level of security networking expertise will be needed to alter these settings regularly, but taking the time to learn these critical elements may be the best way to keep your network both safe and usable.
Government and industry have a lot of work to do to repair and secure an increasingly chaotic Internet. Until they do, all of us are going to have to take a more active role in protecting both our own systems and the public health of the network. It's unfortunate, but unavoidable.
You will find much more on this topic at WorldsLargestNetwork.com
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