After cleaning out yet another PC in the past few days and dealing with a number of increasingly sophisticated and subtle spyware attacks lately I figure it's probably worth repeating some good advice that you'll keep hearing re: computer security.
Keeping your PC secure is a multi faceted task that no longer means that you just install an anti-virus system on your PC and then just leave it... Sadly not... now it's a hell of a lot more complex...
You also need to be:
- Applying security updates and fixes to your Windows installation
- Including a firewall:
-> to stop potential hackers from entering your system through unsecured ports.
-> that checks all outgoing data and notifies you of new applications requesting net access..
... and this is the important bit, CHECKING what it is and whether it should be accessing the net at all. (This will help you to trap anything like "key loggers" that may have sneaked in.)
(Note: this may mean installing more than one piece of equipment/software)
- Ignoring or at least querying any attachments you receive from unknown or even known emailers... If in doubt, don't open it.
- Keeping your software up to date
(Not just windows.. Sort out Office, MSN messenger, etc.. especially anything that has any connection to the net) REMEMBER only install software and patches that you've obtained yourself from trusted sources..
Avoid ones helpfully sent to you that you didn't request without checking they are genuine first!
- Avoiding phishing attacks by checking any enquiries or concerns they may raise using manually typed web addresses or by picking up the phone. NOT clicking on supplied links.
- Most important of all... Apply common sense and don't be afraid to ask...
It's not a pleasant thought but it's becoming increasingly clear that if you use your PC for activities like internet banking, online payments and online shopping then ignoring this advice will mean you are risking everything from ID theft to fraud.. All of which can result in credit rating problems, theft from your accounts, and a whole lot more.
This sounds quite scarey but what was once a slight chance seems to be becoming more and more likely as criminals seize the opportunity to fleece those who "can't be bothered" to take a little time.
One thing to add, is to backup your data, theres nothing worse than having your computer wiped out to find you've lost all the documents you have stored. CD Writers are pretty cheap (read 15 quid) nowadays. Even backing up to floppy disk is better than nothing.
Originally posted by Joelc One thing to add, is to backup your data, theres nothing worse than having your computer wiped out to find you've lost all the documents you have stored. CD Writers are pretty cheap (read 15 quid) nowadays. Even backing up to floppy disk is better than nothing.
Joel
There's always something isn't there
In the world of backup, if you really want to save some time and energy in the long run... It's worth spending the extra £15 to buy a DVD writer.. You can fit a lot more data on a DVD and if you backup regularly then you won't have 500 CD's or become bored from changing disks 8 times more often...
Thanks for reminding me Joel... (runs off to backup his own setup) *whistles*
And don't leave your backup CD / DVD / HDD on the same desk as your computer!
If you get robbed or your house catches fire you'll lose your backup! Keep it somewhere hidden out of the house - in the shed or even a sealed tupperware box buried in the garden!
You never can be too careful in my opion. Just this week one of the senior members of staff at CbtTechs was informed by Google that he would no longer be able to use their facilities because his PC was sending out massive amounts of spam.
This is a very computer savvy person and he had absolutely no idea his PC had been turned into a Zombie!
You have all been warned
__________________
Sat 8 Sep 1951 Sheffield Wednesday v Sheffield United........ 3-7 Att 52,045
Originally posted by richard Another method to safe PC usage is don't use windows at all. Use something else.
... uhuh... and then adjust settings, get frustrated, fail to make anything work and leave your PC even more open to cracking, ID theft, etc... But hey, no viruses... or hair, or sanity...
For the average computer user Linux is STILL not that user friendly... although it is getting better... it just ain't there yet..
Sorry, impassioned rant I know, but the blanket... "Windoze sucks" routine gets my goat as it's impractical as hell for 90% of users...
Edit: of course it now occurs to me that I'm tired and not thinking straight so apologies to the Mac users out there .. there are of course other options... but as for linux as one of the options... my comments still stand.
Originally posted by Martin_s ... uhuh... and then adjust settings, get frustrated, fail to make anything work and leave your PC even more open to cracking, ID theft, etc... But hey, no viruses... or hair, or sanity...
For the average computer user Linux is STILL not that user friendly... although it is getting better... it just ain't there yet..
Sorry, impassioned rant I know, but the blanket... "Windoze sucks" routine gets my goat as it's impractical as hell for 90% of users...
I agree that it's iimpractical, linspire is probably easy enough for anyone, but costs money. Still the job of installing windows is just as difficult as installing ubuntu or linspire or even knoppix, the difference is that most users never install windows and have no interest in doing so.
I disagree with most of all of your first statement, and would appriciate how linux leaves you more open to cracking? Say after loading a modern distribution, ubuntu being a good choice.
Quote:
Originally posted by Martin_s Edit: of course it now occurs to me that I'm tired and not thinking straight so apologies to the Mac users out there .. there are of course other options... but as for linux as one of the options... my comments still stand.
Originally posted by richard
[b]I agree that it's iimpractical, linspire is probably easy enough for anyone, but costs money. Still the job of installing windows is just as difficult as installing ubuntu or linspire or even knoppix, the difference is that most users never install windows and have no interest in doing so.
Interesting point but then I think most users have no interest in doing anything at all when it comes to maintaining their software either and this is why I get a little screwy with the "Linux is better" brigade.
At least Microsoft push the need to keep things up to date and provide security alerts, etc... Granted the product is buggy but there's an issue of legacy involved too which hasn't helped..
In terms of Linux being more secure.. I think it's much the same frankly with the only difference coming down to MS being closed source and Linux being open...
Quote:
I disagree with most of all of your first statement, and would appriciate how linux leaves you more open to cracking? Say after loading a modern distribution, ubuntu being a good choice.
On the face of it I would agree that my statement was too simplistic... What I mean't was that Linux, in the hands of the standard, "I just want it to work" end user is no more or less secure than windows... For all the reasons above...
Updates, patches, exploits are widely available on the net for Linux code as much as for MS... so if the end user isn't patching, whose to say it's more secure..
It's a circular arguement but bottom line I'd say the weak point was more at the end use rather than within the operating system itself..
Really, linux IS more secure then windows as it stands. The main reason for this is that people concentrate on writing bugs, viruses, and sploits for windows machine, mainly becuse of the sheer amount of them around. I'm sure if Linux became more mainstream then it would, but I'd place serious money on it taking less time to patch a Linux fault than a Microsoft one.
Linux has a long way to go in the home desktop arena, but the likes of SuSE and Mandriva, and Ubuntu are getting there. In a busness environment, Linux on the desktop is a dream.
I think in the next few years we will start to see headway into Linux for the home PC, especally with the stupidly high cost of Licencing from m$. If Apple can make UNIX desktop friendly, then i'm sure the gazillions of Linux develpers can do the same. I just wish people whould stop whineing about the way the Linux Kernel is going, yeh its adding new features for desktop users, but its adding new server features too, and if you dont want them, dont compile them in. Simple as.
Good advice martin! Yes keeping a PC safe and running smoothly now-a-days seems to be a full time job!
The basics -
1)Firewall
2)Anti-virus software
3)Anti spyware software (preferably more than one)
4)Clean up software eg Ccleaner
Yep... couldn't agree more.. and having been caught out myself when I got complacent it's easy to get infected and a paid to clean up again.
The problem now though is that your computer can be slowed to a crawl through the sheer weight of software running to protect a PC so it's actually well worth "outsourcing" some of your security to be handled externally to your actual computer.
You can do this in part by looking at services your ISP is offering to screen things like email for virus's or firewalls.. but generally it helps if you don't trust them too much..
Use of hardware firewalls built into your router/switch frees up your system a little and if you're being smart with what you do and don't open then you can usually get away with scanning your computer once a week rather than realtime when it comes to spyware..
All in all though it's a bit of a nightmare on the old net nowadays though...
