Computer Safety

Basic Computer Safety

Many of the problems we encounter have to do with insecure, or improperly configured, computers. People go out and purchase a computer without knowing anything about them and then get upset when they don't work.

Think of your computer as a car. Both are complex pieces of machinery that require periodic maintenance. If you fail to maintain this equipment bad things WILL happen. Learning a little bit about your computer will go a long way to keeping both you, and your computer, happy and stress free.

Your E-mail

Do not open e-mail from people you don't know. How often have you seen these in the subject line, yet you still open them anyway?
  • Oh look..."somebody loves me" or
  • "Hey, I just won $10 million!" or
  • "Are you a sexual god/goddess?"
The subject line is designed to catch your attention and make you open the e-mail - don't do it!

E-mail "spam" is responsible for the majority of computer problems that we talk to people about. and the most common complaint we hear is:But I have to go through ALL of them in case I miss a message from someone I know! The best way to get through your e-mail is to:

  • Search down the "From" column to see if you recognize the senders name - if not, get ready to select all and then delete.
  • Search down the "Subject" column. If you don't recognize a subject discussed by a friend, co-worker or business associate, get ready with the delete button.
  • Select all the e-mails you don't recognize from your scan and then delete them without opening them!

But what if it WAS from someone I know? If it was that important, they will either e-mail you again or call you.

Once set-up, this whole process will now take you 1-2 minutes instead of the 10-15 you waste daily on "spam". We have numerous e-mails we have to check throughout the day. We follow these simple rules and have rarely had any missed e-mails.

Get a Firewall

A firewall is used to filter and stop information sent and received via the Internet. They are used as a means of keeping networks secure. Yes, we know you go through a router and it automatically sets up a firewall, however, better to have too much protection than too little!

An example of a FREE firewall available on the Internet can be found at:

  • Zone Alarm
  • The auto update will periodically inform you to check for updates: make sure you do!

Use Anti-Virus Software

If you insist on opening all those e-mails from people you don't know make sure you install anti-virus software.

Antivirus (anti-virus) software consists of computer programs that attempt to identify, thwart and eliminate computer viruses and other malicious software (malware).

wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antivirus_software
Freely available Antivirus software on the internet includes AVG. You can usually set programs like AVG to automatically update their virus definitions. We recommend you do this manually once a week. The free download of AVG Anti Virus Personal Edition 7.5 is available here

Get a Pop-up Killer

A "Pop Up" is a form of online advertising, used to increase web traffic, or capture email addresses. A pop-up is generated when links to certain sites generate a new window. Popups are usually generated by javascript, although there are other means to create them. A similar item is a 'pop-under' which opens behind your browser window, instead of in front.

Pop Ups will slow down your computer and make your Internet surfing frustrating. To learn more about them, and some options for stopping them, this article is a good place to start.

Bear in mind that some sites will use a pop-up for legitimate reasons, such as providing you with additional information, or instructions, so disabling them entirely may well lead you to believe that a site is 'broken' or 'not working'.

Modern browsers, such as Firefox®, allow you some flexibility in choosing which sites you allow to have pop-ups.

Spyware Removal Tools

Spyware is malicious software installed on a machine, sometimes with a user's consent. Some software producers and webmasters who offer downloadable content put spyware in executable downloads in order to earn a profit from a third party or track the activity of a user. Spyware will slow down your computer, monitor the sites you go to and in a worse case scenario, place a trojan or key stroke logger on your system.

  • Spyware can be removed with free products from Lavasoft. and Spywarebot.
  • Spyware detection and removal should be done on a weekly basis.

Downloading from the web

At this time we thought we should mention Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing that has become very popular today.

The original idea behind P2P was innocent enough, "let's make it easy for me to share my files with you". It basically allowed people to turn their computers into part of a network. Well, to quote a famous Englishman therein lies the rub, as part of one big network your computer is

  • now open for everyone on the network to see and
  • for anyone with the know-how to deposit things you don't want onto your computer - things like the aforementioned trojans, viruses, keystroke loggers and other malware.
But wait a minute - I've got my firewall in place to prevent that! It's not quite that easy. As a partner in a P2P file sharing protocol, you have had to tell your firewall to let the peer computer access your computer for the purpose of file sharing. In other words you just opened the door for your friendly, neighborhood hacker!

It's one thing to let people you know and trust to access your computer for the purposes of file sharing. It is another entirely when you use P2P protocols like Kazaa, Gnutella and Morpheous to share; in effect, you have just opened the door for all the people you have been trying to keep out!

Essentially, when the kids - or anyone on your home network - does P2P downloads of their favorite music, they have opened not only their own computer, but your whole network to the entire world!

Let's not forget that P2P music sharing is illegal in some areas, and un-ethical in most, so thoughtless access to P2P can make you vulnerable in many more ways then just a compromised computer.

It's something to think about.