The Internet is not a safe place. We have all heard about identity theft, sexual predators, viruses, and spyware, but what are we doing about it. The short answer is nothing. Most people feel that you turn on your computer, keep your antivirus up to date and you are good to go. Unfortunately it's not that easy. There are many other things that you can and should be doing to keep you safe in this modern age of technology.
Over the next few months we will be publishing a multiple part guide to staying safe on your computer. The following is part 1.
The first and most pressing issue is viruses and spyware. Many people have a hard time differentiating between the two. There are many sites out there that will bring you up to speed on the definitions of these. Our goal is to assist you with recognizing the behavior that people exhibit that causes their computers to become infected with these little nasties.
I have antivirus software that I just bought so I should be good right?
No. Many of the viruses and spyware that are out there today rely on what we call "social engineering", which means that they trick you into letting them bypass your antivirus software. It's kind of like someone knocking at your door dressed up like they are from the electric company. You let them in, and then before you know it they tie you to a chair and rob you blind. Now you may say to yourself, "I would probably verify that he was truly from the electric company before I let him in". That may be true, but would your kids, roommates, or anyone else do the same? Viruses and spyware rely on that same method of trickery to get past antivirus software. At this point the only thing that your antivirus is going to do for you is let you know that you need to bring your computer in for a serious cleanup. So, now you may be wondering; How do I prevent this from happening?
- Not much that is good for the general public is free for download (with a few exceptions). If a product is free it usually is either a short trial period, illegal, or harmful for your computer. Free games, screensavers, and things like that install malfunctioning toolbars, monitoring software, and trojan viruses just to name a few. Most free music is illegal, and usually 1 out of every 10 songs is virus infected. Only download software that you trust. As you install your downloaded software read every screen. Don't get so excited to use your new free software that you agree to install all the other junk that will more than likely come with it.
- Don't be a speed-clicker. When you are driving on a road that you haven't been on before do you drive 80 mph? Chances are you slow down a bit. Same thing goes for surfing the web. Sometimes what looks like a cancel button isn't. Slow down, read the link before you click on it, and pay attention to pop-ups. When in doubt. Pressing the "Alt" and "F4" keys on your keyboard simultaneously will close any open windows.
- If it sounds too good to be true, then it is. Banner ads and email that promises checks from the government, weight loss, a hot date, or a free credit report are all hype designed to get you to stumble on to their site and be pummeled by more ads and garbage that could potentially be a virus
- Keep a current antivirus with spyware protection software on your computer. There are many choices out there and everyone will tell you that certain software is better than another. Use the Internet for something productive and do your research. Google search antivirus software reviews, and see what comes up. Don't trust just one site, visit 3 or 4 before you make a decision. Worst case go see a professional. Small computer businesses like ours have a lot of experience with all types of software. We usually know what a good recommendation is.
- Go through your add/remove programs and uninstall anything that says "toolbar" or "free". These programs will usually cause the popups that will ultimately trick you or a family member into clicking into something that you don't want. *Clarion Computer recommends that you always use caution when uninstalling programs. Uninstalling certain things can cause system crashes.
- The use of alternative web browsers will also assist you when browsing the web. Firefox seems to be much more secure than Internet Explorer.
- Remember: You can have too much of a good thing. Installing multiple antivirus, spyware, and popup blocking software can actually make you worse off than if you had a virus. These programs will usually fight one another and cause sluggish non-responsive computers.
