Below are some general tips on keeping your computer secure from viruses, spy ware and internet fraud.
1. NEVER give your password to anyone. If you suspect someone knows your password, change it immediately!
2. Change your password regularly, at least once a year. Don’t reuse the same password. Try to have a rotating list of 5 passwords that you use, so you don’t have the same password for everything you do – from your PayPal account to your online subscriptions.
3. Use strong
passwords. A good password is a sentence where you select the first letter
of each word as your password. It makes no sense to anyone but you.
In addition, I recommend that the password have a mix of capitals and lowercase
letters, numbers, and symbols. Examples: “The Navy is the number one
service!" = "TNitn1s!"
4. Patch your
computer. Keep your computer’s operating system current and updated with
the latest patches. If you connect to the Internet with out-of-date,
defective software, your computer can be broken into within hours, sometimes
minutes. Older operating systems simply can not be kept secure. If you are
running a version prior to Windows 2000, an upgrade is recommended.
5. Use and update your antivirus software. Computers without updated antivirus software can be infected with a virus or worm within seconds of connecting to the Internet.
6. Use email
responsibly. Don’t “unsubscribe” to an unsolicited email or open an
attachment unless you have specifically requested it. “Unsubscribe” is a
way for spammers to find out that an email address is legitimate. Instead, just
delete it. As for attachments, even if it appears to be from someone you
know, don’t open it. Contact that person and ask if they intended to send
it to you. If you don’t know the person, delete the email. When in doubt
"delete it"!
7. Don't use an unsafe web browser - Internet Explorer (IE) is the default browser on well over 90% of new PCs. Don't use it! Even on a fully patched install of Windows XP, the spyware can get you. Internet Explorer is responsible for most of the computer problems I see. Really! So just download and use the Opera or Mozilla Firefox web browsers. They are free, safe, and have more features than IE, like tabbed browsing and popup blocking.
8. Don't download unsafe programs - The practice of downloading and installing free programs from websites on the internet can be dangerous. Why? Many of these programs bring along with them viruses or spyware, like the ancient Trojan horse. Especially be careful of those free peer-to-peer (P2P) programs that are often used to download music and movies, like Kazaa, Limewire, and so forth. P2P software is inherently insecure because it can “share” the entire contents of your hard drive with the Internet! Also beware of free utilities, screensavers, games, and so forth. Do some research before you download.
9. Don’t use chat
or instant messaging (IM) software. Unlike traditional email, which stores and
forwards messages, IM networks send messages immediately, usually on a
peer-to-server model. This type of IM network can handle millions of users; and
the more users, the more attacks on that network.. Although each IM user must
have a unique chat name or “handle,” intruders often steal handles to pose as
another user. Attacks disrupt legitimate traffic, compromise computers, and
spread malicious software (malware), thus putting your computer at risk.
10. Lock your
computer. To protect your data, lock your computer when it is unattended
in an area where someone else may have access to it. To lock, press
CTRL+ALT+DEL and select Lock Computer. Always turn off your computer at
the end of the day. A computer can’t be hacked when it’s turned off.
11. Back up your data files and test your backups. So what's the best way backup your data? Well, there are many options. First, don't rely on floppy disks; they are too delicate, slow, and only hold 1.4MB of data. CDRs are a popular choice, since they are inexpensive (about $0.29 each in bulk), most PCs have CD-writers, and you can backup 700MB at a time. Don't use CDRW's for storage because they can become corrupt and you will loose your data. Some people also use flash drives, or send backup data to another PC on their network. Small business owners may want to consider a more automated backup system, like using an external hard drive or tape drive. Also some data is more tricky to backup, like e-mail files and address books. I personally backup all my data to an external hard drive (very cheap these days) and store all my photographs (over 4,000!) on gold CDR's which have a life expectancy of 75 years!
12. Surge suppresser - Most PCs that are damaged by surges and lightning. The majority are hit through the TELEPHONE line, not the power cord. Most modern surge suppressers include phone line protection. Use it. And be sure it's a good one, like an APC; I've seen cheap ones that failed and let the PC get fried anyway. If it fails you will not only loose your computer but also your data: so "BACK IT UP"!