Computer Security Tips

Safety Tips 411

Your personal computer is a common target for hackers and other malicious users because they want to access personal data such as bank account information, credit card numbers or any important data they can find. Sometimes, of course, they just want to create havoc by sending viruses.

Not only can intruders stead your financial information, they could also use your computer resources – such as hard disk, processor and internet connection – to attack other users. This way, law enforcement will find it difficult to solve where the attacks are coming from.

To prevent possible identity theft or having your computer take part in attacking others, follow these 7 computer security tips to maintain your PC security:

1) Anti-Virus Programs – These programs search and assess the contents of each computer file then removes or destroys “virus signatures”, which are known to be harmful to your computer. New computers often come with programs, or you can buy software on your own. Top anti-virus programs include Norton AntiVirus 2007, Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0, and McAfee Internet Security Suite 2007.

2) Patch up your System – Often times programs, such as Windows, contain bugs in their system that make it vulnerable to attack by hackers. They will then offer patches to help fix the problem. You are urged to keep current on patches that are available and download them to make your system safer.

3) Email Attachments – Be very cautious when you are opening email attachments, particularly if your computer is using Microsoft Windows, because Windows computers are what most viruses target. Do not open file attachments that you did not expect to receive. If you get an unexpected email with an attachment from one of your contacts, ask them if they did send something and what is inside that file. Avoid opening attachments with file extensions such as .cmd .scr. .pif .bat and .exe, because such files are the easiest for viruses to attach to.

4) Firewall Programs – No list of computer security tips would be complete without mention of firewalls. These programs act as a guard to your computer when looking at network traffic received from or destined for other computers. The firewall program determines if certain traffic should be allowed to continue to its destination or stopped. These programs keep the unwanted out and permit only “healthy” traffic to enter and leave your computer. Operating systems such as Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Vista are already equipped with a built-in firewall, but older versions of Windows as well as other operating systems require that you set up a separate firewall.

The most popular software vendors are McAfee, Norton, and AVG. You can either get a CD or download the software from their websites. Other inexpensive or free firewall downloads include: Comodo, where you can download a firewall for free, ZoneAlarm, which offers a 15-day free trial firewall download, and Sunbelt Personal Firewall, which offers a 30-day free trail download.

5) Data Backups – It is important that back up your data in your computer’s hard disk, external hard disk drives or any removable media. This ensures each important data will not be harmed when computer problems arise.

6) Strong Passwords – It is important to mix up several numbers, symbols and letters to strengthen password safety. An ideal length of password is around eight or more letters, numbers or symbols. Remember not to use the same password multiple times. Your debit and credit cards should not have the same PIN numbers, for example. Another no-no is to use a word that people might be able to guess from your wallet or purse if it's stolen, like your child's name.

7) Download and Installation – Be careful in accepting or downloading any material online to prevent virus attacks and computer hijacks.

Although these computer security tips may seem simple, remember that maintaining computer safety is a continuous process. You cannot perform these tasks once and let your computer be. Get back to each of these steps regularly and check if you need program updates.

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