Internet Security Software: Free Downloads To Secure Your PC
The internet is considered as the information superhighway where you can gather the information you need for school and work. In fact, the internet is so useful that people have begun to use it for businesses.
The internet can even be a great way to entertain yourself with downloadable movies, comics and music. Another benefit the internet gives is that you can do your shopping for your clothes and groceries right in the comforts of your own home. You no longer need to go out to the supermarket or to the mall to buy the things you need. All you need to do is log in to an online shopping website and purchase the items you need.
Unfortunately, useful as the internet may be, it also has its dangers. Since more and more people are purchasing goods and services in the internet, it also paved the way for new kinds of criminals. These criminals will try and get your financial and personal information and use it to steal money from you without you knowing about it until it’s too late.
These people develop programs or softwares that can invade your personal computer silently and will start gathering information for the developer. With these programs, they will have access to your files and know every key you type in your keyboard and every click of your mouse. Sometimes, these programs simply destroy the files inside your computer.
Here are the different programs cyber criminals use to destroy your files, or obtain your personal information:
• Spyware
• Adware
• Viruses
• Spam emails
In order to protect yourself and your PC from the different malicious software circulating the internet, you have to purchase a kind of internet security software. However, since there is a lot of security software available in the internet, you will be confused on which one you should purchase.
This is why there are trial periods for softwares in order for you to determine which software is better. Trial or demo versions of the different internet security software are free and can be downloaded instantly from the company’s website. You can download it for free, install it in your computer, and test it if it would be worth your time and money to purchase the full version of the software.
However, these demo versions can only protect your personal computer at a limited time only. After the trial period expires, the software will be locked and you will need to purchase the full version of the software in order to use it again.
Some trial versions have full capabilities while others have only limited capabilities. These free software versions can also be very useful. You can try and use these versions until you find the internet security software you want. Think of it as a temporary fix until you find the right software.
So, if you are looking for a way to protect your computer from malicious software at least temporarily, you can try out the free versions of internet security software until you find the software that is right for your computer. You have to find the software that offer full capabilities against the growing threat in the internet today. It should be able to fight off viruses, spyware, adware, spam emails, and hackers.
With the right kind of software, you will be sure that you can surf the internet without worrying about the different malicious software circulating the internet today.
Showing posts with label virus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label virus. Show all posts
Friday, July 4, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Internet Security Software Review
Reviews for Internet Security Software: Know All About the Different Internet Security Software Available
It is a fact that more and more people are using the internet to purchase the items they need in their everyday lives. Some people even shop for their groceries online to save travel time. There are also people who prefer paying their utility bills over the internet.
Since more and more people are using the internet to purchase goods and services, there are also increasing numbers of people who also wants to take advantage of the internet to make money illegally. Cyber criminals are a new breed of criminals that steals money from people through the use of the internet. They develop softwares that enables them to know about your personal and financial information. This software is called spyware.
Some develops viruses to make money out of it by simultaneously selling a program that get rids of the virus. Others are pure hackers who develop viruses just for the sake of fun in destroying other people’s computer files.
Because of this growing threat, it is now recommended that people should install internet security software in their personal computers. This particular software can fight viruses, prevent spyware from invading your computer, and it can also prevent a hacker from taking control of your computer.
It is recommended that you should at least have all the protection features in just one software since the programming of the different malicious software in the internet is very different from one another. Viruses and spyware are very different; therefore, antivirus software will not be effective in protecting your computer against spyware.
There are different kinds of internet security software available in the market today. Because of this, it would be very difficult for you to choose which internet security software you should purchase. Since all of the companies claim that they are the best in the business, it can be very confusing for you in choosing which software is really the best.
In order for you to at least have an idea on which software is the best, you have to take a look at the software review in order to know about the different opinions of different people who have used the software before. Of course, the more people who say positive things about the software, the more likely the internet security software is one of the best software available that offers optimum protection against malicious software and hackers popping out of the internet everyday.
Reviews are an important part of purchasing anything. With a review, you can strengthen your opinion and your decision in whether you want to buy the software or not. It is important to read the user reviews for internet security software in order to know if the particular brand of the software is really worth your money.
Reading user reviews is like getting to know the software better. Besides, who else would have better knowledge about the software than the people who have used the software before? With a user review, you will know about the different capabilities of the software and know about the pros and cons.
So, if you are confused on which internet security software you should purchase, you should consider reading the user reviews in order to get an idea on which one you should buy.
It is a fact that more and more people are using the internet to purchase the items they need in their everyday lives. Some people even shop for their groceries online to save travel time. There are also people who prefer paying their utility bills over the internet.
Since more and more people are using the internet to purchase goods and services, there are also increasing numbers of people who also wants to take advantage of the internet to make money illegally. Cyber criminals are a new breed of criminals that steals money from people through the use of the internet. They develop softwares that enables them to know about your personal and financial information. This software is called spyware.
Some develops viruses to make money out of it by simultaneously selling a program that get rids of the virus. Others are pure hackers who develop viruses just for the sake of fun in destroying other people’s computer files.
Because of this growing threat, it is now recommended that people should install internet security software in their personal computers. This particular software can fight viruses, prevent spyware from invading your computer, and it can also prevent a hacker from taking control of your computer.
It is recommended that you should at least have all the protection features in just one software since the programming of the different malicious software in the internet is very different from one another. Viruses and spyware are very different; therefore, antivirus software will not be effective in protecting your computer against spyware.
There are different kinds of internet security software available in the market today. Because of this, it would be very difficult for you to choose which internet security software you should purchase. Since all of the companies claim that they are the best in the business, it can be very confusing for you in choosing which software is really the best.
In order for you to at least have an idea on which software is the best, you have to take a look at the software review in order to know about the different opinions of different people who have used the software before. Of course, the more people who say positive things about the software, the more likely the internet security software is one of the best software available that offers optimum protection against malicious software and hackers popping out of the internet everyday.
Reviews are an important part of purchasing anything. With a review, you can strengthen your opinion and your decision in whether you want to buy the software or not. It is important to read the user reviews for internet security software in order to know if the particular brand of the software is really worth your money.
Reading user reviews is like getting to know the software better. Besides, who else would have better knowledge about the software than the people who have used the software before? With a user review, you will know about the different capabilities of the software and know about the pros and cons.
So, if you are confused on which internet security software you should purchase, you should consider reading the user reviews in order to get an idea on which one you should buy.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Trojan Horse
Trojan Horse….Greek Myth or Computer Nemesis?
We have all heard the term Trojan Horse, but what exactly is it? A Trojan Horse is a destructive program that masquerades as a harmless application. Unlike viruses, Trojan Horses do not replicate themselves, but they can be just as destructive. One of the most dangerous examples of a Trojan is a program that promises to rid your computer of viruses but instead introduces viruses into your computer.
The Trojan can be tricky. Who hasn’t been online and had an advertisement pop up claiming to be able to rid your computer of some nasty virus? Or, even more frightening, you receive an email that claims to be alerting you to a new virus that can threaten your computer. The sender promises to quickly eradicate, or protect, your computer from viruses if you simply download their “free”, attached software into your computer. You may be skeptical but the software looks legitimate and the company sounds reputable. You proceed to take them up on their offer and download the software. In doing so, you have just potentially exposed yourself to a massive headache and your computer to a laundry list of ailments.
When a Trojan is activated, numerous things can happen. Some Trojans are more annoying than malicious. Some of the less annoying Trojans may choose to change your desktop settings or add silly desktop icons. The more serious Trojans can erase or overwrite data on your computer, corrupt files, spread other malware such as viruses, spy on the user of a computer and secretly report data like browsing habits to other people, log keystrokes to steal information such as passwords and credit card numbers, phish for bank account details (which can be used for criminal activities), and even install a backdoor into your computer system so that they can come and go as they please.
To increase your odds of not encountering a Trojan, follow these guidelines.
1. Remain diligent
Trojans can infect your computer through rogue websites, instant messaging, and emails with attachments. Do not download anything into your computer unless you are 100 percent sure of its sender or source.
2. Ensure that your operating system is always up-to-date. If you are running a Microsoft Windows operating system, this is essential.
3. Install reliable anti-virus software. It is also important that you download any updates frequently to catch all new Trojan Horses, viruses, and worms. Be sure that the anti-virus program that you choose can also scan e-mails and files downloaded through the internet.
4. Consider installing a firewall. A firewall is a system that prevents unauthorized use and access to your computer. A firewall is not going to eliminate your computer virus problems, but when used in conjunction with regular operating system updates and reliable anti-virus software, it can provide additional security and protection for your computer.
Nothing can guarantee the security of your computer 100 percent. However, you can continue to improve your computer's security and decrease the possibility of infection by consistently following these guidelines.
We have all heard the term Trojan Horse, but what exactly is it? A Trojan Horse is a destructive program that masquerades as a harmless application. Unlike viruses, Trojan Horses do not replicate themselves, but they can be just as destructive. One of the most dangerous examples of a Trojan is a program that promises to rid your computer of viruses but instead introduces viruses into your computer.
The Trojan can be tricky. Who hasn’t been online and had an advertisement pop up claiming to be able to rid your computer of some nasty virus? Or, even more frightening, you receive an email that claims to be alerting you to a new virus that can threaten your computer. The sender promises to quickly eradicate, or protect, your computer from viruses if you simply download their “free”, attached software into your computer. You may be skeptical but the software looks legitimate and the company sounds reputable. You proceed to take them up on their offer and download the software. In doing so, you have just potentially exposed yourself to a massive headache and your computer to a laundry list of ailments.
When a Trojan is activated, numerous things can happen. Some Trojans are more annoying than malicious. Some of the less annoying Trojans may choose to change your desktop settings or add silly desktop icons. The more serious Trojans can erase or overwrite data on your computer, corrupt files, spread other malware such as viruses, spy on the user of a computer and secretly report data like browsing habits to other people, log keystrokes to steal information such as passwords and credit card numbers, phish for bank account details (which can be used for criminal activities), and even install a backdoor into your computer system so that they can come and go as they please.
To increase your odds of not encountering a Trojan, follow these guidelines.
1. Remain diligent
Trojans can infect your computer through rogue websites, instant messaging, and emails with attachments. Do not download anything into your computer unless you are 100 percent sure of its sender or source.
2. Ensure that your operating system is always up-to-date. If you are running a Microsoft Windows operating system, this is essential.
3. Install reliable anti-virus software. It is also important that you download any updates frequently to catch all new Trojan Horses, viruses, and worms. Be sure that the anti-virus program that you choose can also scan e-mails and files downloaded through the internet.
4. Consider installing a firewall. A firewall is a system that prevents unauthorized use and access to your computer. A firewall is not going to eliminate your computer virus problems, but when used in conjunction with regular operating system updates and reliable anti-virus software, it can provide additional security and protection for your computer.
Nothing can guarantee the security of your computer 100 percent. However, you can continue to improve your computer's security and decrease the possibility of infection by consistently following these guidelines.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Tools to Protect your Internet Privacy
Did you know that pictures, banners and images from websites you visit could be downloaded on your PC without your knowledge? If you want to use the internet for your business especially online business, it will be a good idea to get some sort of protection. You will be using your internet all the time for payments, transactions, and online banking and you will obviously have passwords for all of these. This is where internet eraser software is much needed. Basically, internet eraser software helps to delete all the information that is stored in hidden files on your computer which is very easy for hackers to get hold of.
Using internet eraser software will make sure that no one can get into your system to steal your passwords, user names, account details, and credit card numbers. Internet eraser software has advanced features that erase your internet browser history, your address bar history, your internet browser cache, your cookies and junk files and your internet search history. You can delete your cookies one by one, so that you can choose which ones are important and necessary to keep.
The internet eraser software ensures that every part of your computer is safe from unwanted visitors. It is possible for people to secretly place unwanted items like banners and pictures on to your computer when you have been downloading something like music or video or any other program from some websites. To delete such unwanted files from your computer, the internet eraser software also includes a Media Player history eraser, a real Player history eraser, and porn tracks eraser and it deletes the unwanted files permanently.
The internet eraser software also has Google search history, Yahoo search history, and MSN search history eraser, and supports almost all major web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Opera, Netscape, and Firefox. If you do most of your work and financial transactions online, it is a good idea to take all precautions and purchase internet eraser software. Your computer can also be safer from viruses that are frequently downloaded from unsafe sites you might have visited. Now you can delete all of this information permanently from your PC.
Internet eraser software is cost effective and will ensure that your office or home office is safe from hackers, viruses and other invasions. This is also great for offices, as you can not be sure what your employees get up to all the time. They could download something potentially dangerous and even though they have deleted the original files, the hidden files downloaded in the computer can infect your PC. We all need to face facts, that today’s world is not safe and there are vicious people out there just waiting to take advantage of someone else’s lifestyle, so get your internet eraser software now to protect your family and your future.
Source By: IC
Using internet eraser software will make sure that no one can get into your system to steal your passwords, user names, account details, and credit card numbers. Internet eraser software has advanced features that erase your internet browser history, your address bar history, your internet browser cache, your cookies and junk files and your internet search history. You can delete your cookies one by one, so that you can choose which ones are important and necessary to keep.
The internet eraser software ensures that every part of your computer is safe from unwanted visitors. It is possible for people to secretly place unwanted items like banners and pictures on to your computer when you have been downloading something like music or video or any other program from some websites. To delete such unwanted files from your computer, the internet eraser software also includes a Media Player history eraser, a real Player history eraser, and porn tracks eraser and it deletes the unwanted files permanently.
The internet eraser software also has Google search history, Yahoo search history, and MSN search history eraser, and supports almost all major web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Opera, Netscape, and Firefox. If you do most of your work and financial transactions online, it is a good idea to take all precautions and purchase internet eraser software. Your computer can also be safer from viruses that are frequently downloaded from unsafe sites you might have visited. Now you can delete all of this information permanently from your PC.
Internet eraser software is cost effective and will ensure that your office or home office is safe from hackers, viruses and other invasions. This is also great for offices, as you can not be sure what your employees get up to all the time. They could download something potentially dangerous and even though they have deleted the original files, the hidden files downloaded in the computer can infect your PC. We all need to face facts, that today’s world is not safe and there are vicious people out there just waiting to take advantage of someone else’s lifestyle, so get your internet eraser software now to protect your family and your future.
Source By: IC
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
What Is Adware and What Can You Do to Prevent It from Affecting Your System?
Adware is used as a supplemental program in some cases. Adware can be used as a part of an internet program and used as a way of letting you use a service without paying for it: rather than using a program with limited features and rather than paying the full cost of the program, you can choose an ad-supported version. The adware used will track the sites you visit and ads that are related to your interests will be shown to you during your session.
Of course, that is an example of your consent to having adware installed on your system. Another possibility is that you install software and don't fully read the part of the user agreement that suggested that third-party software was included to see how the software was used on your computer.
This third-party software is typically adware. With it, the person who wrote the software can collect money from advertisers who will be able to know which users might be interested in their products.
For many people. However, adware quickly becomes an annoyance. In addition to feeling uncomfortable that they are being watched – associating the feeling with being spied on and the adware with spyware – they just want to be able to go about using a program or surfing the internet without a steady stream of advertising or even advertising pop-up windows slowing them down.
As a result, they start looking for ways of removing adware from their computer.
Removing adware from your computer can be done by installing ad-blocking software. Removing adware, in many cases, can also be done with the installation of anti-spyware programs.
But why settle for removing adware when you can make efforts to keep it from getting on your computer to begin with? Rather than dealing with adware and having to find ways of removing adware from your system, consider doing the following:
· Read the licensing agreements that come with software programs that you are thinking about installing. If a mention is made of third-party software that will track the way you use the program or the software is listed as ad-supported, do not agree to the terms of service and choose an alternate program. In many cases, the user agreement or licensing agreement are available to you before you download and install the software;
· Choose the free but feature limited software or pay for the program rather than using the advertising supported version to avoid installing adware on your system;
· If you think that you are getting adware or spyware on your system and you have been using Internet Explorer as your web browser, consider making the switch to another browser that contains ad-blocks;
· Make sure that the security patches for your computer's operating system as well as your anti-spyware and firewalls are up to date.
In easer words, the best means of removing adware from your computer is to not install it in the first place. Taking control of your computer is not only the best way of preventing adware but also some of the more dangerous security threats including spyware, trojans, worms and viruses. Once you have the right software installed you can now Surf the net with more confidence, privacy and therefore with more security.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
By: kirby
Of course, that is an example of your consent to having adware installed on your system. Another possibility is that you install software and don't fully read the part of the user agreement that suggested that third-party software was included to see how the software was used on your computer.
This third-party software is typically adware. With it, the person who wrote the software can collect money from advertisers who will be able to know which users might be interested in their products.
For many people. However, adware quickly becomes an annoyance. In addition to feeling uncomfortable that they are being watched – associating the feeling with being spied on and the adware with spyware – they just want to be able to go about using a program or surfing the internet without a steady stream of advertising or even advertising pop-up windows slowing them down.
As a result, they start looking for ways of removing adware from their computer.
Removing adware from your computer can be done by installing ad-blocking software. Removing adware, in many cases, can also be done with the installation of anti-spyware programs.
But why settle for removing adware when you can make efforts to keep it from getting on your computer to begin with? Rather than dealing with adware and having to find ways of removing adware from your system, consider doing the following:
· Read the licensing agreements that come with software programs that you are thinking about installing. If a mention is made of third-party software that will track the way you use the program or the software is listed as ad-supported, do not agree to the terms of service and choose an alternate program. In many cases, the user agreement or licensing agreement are available to you before you download and install the software;
· Choose the free but feature limited software or pay for the program rather than using the advertising supported version to avoid installing adware on your system;
· If you think that you are getting adware or spyware on your system and you have been using Internet Explorer as your web browser, consider making the switch to another browser that contains ad-blocks;
· Make sure that the security patches for your computer's operating system as well as your anti-spyware and firewalls are up to date.
In easer words, the best means of removing adware from your computer is to not install it in the first place. Taking control of your computer is not only the best way of preventing adware but also some of the more dangerous security threats including spyware, trojans, worms and viruses. Once you have the right software installed you can now Surf the net with more confidence, privacy and therefore with more security.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
By: kirby
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Is "Malware" Malicious
According to Wikipedea "Malware" is: "software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's informed consent."
In today's technology tip we have some definitions of the names you might have heard for various kinds of malware.
computer viruses - a computer program that can copy itself onto a computer without the permission or knowledge of the user (complete wikipedia definition). Viruses could be introduced to your computer from a disk, flash drive, CD.
computer worms - Similar to a computer virus but a worm can "Self replicate" itself to other computers throughout a computer network without any user involvement (complete wikipedia definition).
trojan horse - Just like the mythological Trojan Horse, these programs appear to be useful free downloads but when you download them to your computer you also download other unwanted and malicious programs onto your computer (complete wikipedia definition). Trojans could thus be used to install all kinds of malware onto your computer.
spyware - Malware that is downloaded to your computer with the purpose of tracking or recording the user's activities without the user's consent (complete wikipedia definition). Such malicious software could be used to log keystrokes to get passwords, or just track internet search histories to target pop-up advertisements.
adware - Some free downloads from the internet will ask the user for consent to install spyware software on the users computer as part of the download agreement (complete wikipedia definition). Such software is usually refered to as adware instead of spyware since the user has given consent to be tracked in exchange for some free software.
web cookies - These are usually harmless bits of text that are downloaded automatically whenever you open a website. (complete wikipedia definition) The cookie is used to track your visits to a specific website. The cerators of websites use cookies to gather data about who and how often their website is being accessed.
How to clean malware off your computer?
For starters, here's a popular free download for finding spyware on your computer: Ad-Aware from Lavasoft: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
They have a free version that you can try.
Then there's the anti-virus software you can buy. Here's a review of the Top Antivirus Software from PC World:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,124475/article.html
You might want to consider protecting your personal computer with these products. If you already have some antivirus software you might want to check it's expiration date.
In today's technology tip we have some definitions of the names you might have heard for various kinds of malware.
computer viruses - a computer program that can copy itself onto a computer without the permission or knowledge of the user (complete wikipedia definition). Viruses could be introduced to your computer from a disk, flash drive, CD.
computer worms - Similar to a computer virus but a worm can "Self replicate" itself to other computers throughout a computer network without any user involvement (complete wikipedia definition).
trojan horse - Just like the mythological Trojan Horse, these programs appear to be useful free downloads but when you download them to your computer you also download other unwanted and malicious programs onto your computer (complete wikipedia definition). Trojans could thus be used to install all kinds of malware onto your computer.
spyware - Malware that is downloaded to your computer with the purpose of tracking or recording the user's activities without the user's consent (complete wikipedia definition). Such malicious software could be used to log keystrokes to get passwords, or just track internet search histories to target pop-up advertisements.
adware - Some free downloads from the internet will ask the user for consent to install spyware software on the users computer as part of the download agreement (complete wikipedia definition). Such software is usually refered to as adware instead of spyware since the user has given consent to be tracked in exchange for some free software.
web cookies - These are usually harmless bits of text that are downloaded automatically whenever you open a website. (complete wikipedia definition) The cookie is used to track your visits to a specific website. The cerators of websites use cookies to gather data about who and how often their website is being accessed.
How to clean malware off your computer?
For starters, here's a popular free download for finding spyware on your computer: Ad-Aware from Lavasoft: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
They have a free version that you can try.
Then there's the anti-virus software you can buy. Here's a review of the Top Antivirus Software from PC World:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,124475/article.html
You might want to consider protecting your personal computer with these products. If you already have some antivirus software you might want to check it's expiration date.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Things to do for a healthy and secure PC
A Top 10 List That Can Save Your Computer
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Many who read this article may find these recommendations to be old news. However, think about the number family, friends, and associates that ask you for help fixing their PC and I believe you will understand why I chose to write this article..
This list of recommendations for a healthy & secure PC is by no means a complete list of everything you can and should do. It is however a great start if you want to keep your computer running properly for an acceptable period of time. It will also help prevent some of the most common issues related to PC security.
1. Hard Drive Fragmentation
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Believe it or not, many people have never even heard of hard drive fragmentation, or the process of Defragmentation. In a nutshell, when you install software or create files and data, the Operating System stores this data on your hard disk drive. The most efficient way of storing this data would be in one continuous disk file. However, files are not always stored this way, or are initially stored this way and later become split up, or fragmented. Because of this, when the data or file is retrieved, the hard drive must be searched in multiple places just to combine data that makes up one file. This slows things down tremendously. If you are running Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you should perform a disk defrag at least once every two weeks, more if possible. All of my systems run this process automatically once every week in the evening hours.
2. Installing Games & Disk Intensive Software
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If you're a gamer, or regularly use disk intensive software, the above Defragmentation process will help. However, you can also take another step to make things move a little faster. If you have two physically separate disk drives in your system, I suggest that you use one primarily for the Operating System and related software, and devote the other physical disk for installing games and other disk intensive applications. This cuts down on the competition for disk resources between your Operating System and other applications. There are other things you could do as well, such as configuring the appropriate type of RAID where multiple disks appear to the operating system as one big logical disk drive. This takes a little more planning to get the most out of your drives so I'll cover that in a future article.
3. Virus & Spyware Protection
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The bottom line here is; make sure you have installed some sort of anti-virus and spyware protection. Furthermore, don't just assume that the default configuration of the program is best suited for your environment. For instance, I can't tell you how many people I know whose computer has contracted a serious virus because of just one minor but very important task. When the anti-virus software pops up a message and tells you that your subscription is about to expire, don't just hit the ignore button. Take a five minute break from what you are doing and renew your virus signature subscription. Not only will this keep you up to date on newer viruses, it will allow your software package to update to newer versions. The same thing goes for spyware protection. There are plenty of free spyware protection solutions out there, none are perfect, but most do the job. I suggest using Microsoft's AntiSpyware Beta package at the least.
4. Software & Hardware Firewall Protection
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If you are not using a firewall, then you are just asking for trouble. Actually, there is a significant chance that your system is already compromised if you have no firewall protection at all. Many cable/DSL router combo devices have built in firewall protection, and this is at least a good start. However, if you have Windows XP SP2, go ahead and enable the built in firewall as it will provide you another level of protection. Oh, yes, and when the system pops up a message about whether or not to allow a certain application or communication to take place, don't just hit the ok button, read it thoroughly then make a decision.
5. Installing & Uninstalling Applications
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Just about every time you install a new application or piece of software you increase the time it takes to boot your PC and in some cases decrease its performance. On thing that drives me crazy is printing software. For the life of me I cannot understand how or why printer support software could total 400MB in size, but they sometimes do. Not only that, they tend to load all kinds of unnecessary real-time running applets. HP printers are notorious for this. Be very aware of what it is you are loading and only load those components that you need. Even some off-the-shelf software packages load adware and other not so helpful applets. Also, when you uninstall software, not all the software gets uninstalled in many cases. One thing I suggest is to purchase a registry cleaner. This can dramatically decrease boot times and in many cases increase the overall performance of your PC.
6. Purchasing & Downloading Items On The Internet
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When you download or purchase any software from the Internet, make sure you pay close attention to everything you are agreeing to or checking off on the various pages that lead up to the final purchase or download. As with everything else, make sure you read the fine print. You may be agreeing to download and install something you don't need or may impact the security and performance of you PC. Also, how many more mailing lists do you really need to be on? How many Internet Explorer tool bars do you need? Most of these tool bars should be renamed to "adware / spyware bars"
7. Installing Operating System & Application Patches
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In a nutshell, if you are using Windows XP, make sure that automatic updates are turned on. This is very important. Microsoft releases security and bug fixes routinely and some of them are critical in nature. Something people tend to overlook is updating and patching their applications. For instance, Microsoft Office has critical security patches and performance enhancements available in the form of patches and service packs. It's not just Operating System bugs that can put you at risk, applications can too.
8. Updating Drivers
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Similar to the above, hardware manufacturers routinely update their drivers. This includes video cards, sounds cards, capture cards, system boards, you name it. Some manufacturers have started to release automatic updates for their hardware, but many have not. Make sure you check these sites regularly and when a driver update is available, install it.
9. What Do Your Children Download
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This is a really big one. I can' tell you how may times I have been told by people that they have no idea how something got installed on their computer. Usually their second sentence contains "one of my children must have downloaded it". The first thing that comes to mind is "why do parents let kids download what ever they like in the first place". Not only can this severely impact the security and performance of your computer, who knows what your kids are getting their hands on. Do you know what one of the most frequently installed application installs I see on a teenagers machine is? Kazaa, BearShare, eDonkey, all P2P file sharing programs. I don't care what anyone says regarding how convenient and safe these applications are now, they are wrong. Monitor what your children are doing / downloading on the Internet. Install a parental control software package if need be.
10. Rebuilding Your Operating System
---------------------
If you are not familiar with system imaging software, I suggest you read up on them. One of the most popular packages is "ghost" and it's been around for quite some time. I rebuild my systems pretty much on an annual basis. When I first configured them, I used an imaging package to create a complete image of the basic OS and application install. This allows you to not only re-install the base operating system and applications by hitting just one button, but can save you big time in the event of a system disaster.
Conclusion
---------------------
Many of my peers and other technical people will read this and say it's all common sense and very basic. Well, if this is what you do for a living then yes, it is. But many people don't know these things or did know about them and have forgotten. So many PC are in such bad shape and it's beyond me how the average person even deals with it. It has to be frustrating not knowing where to turn or what to do, especially if you don't have a tech friend or family member to call on. I hate to sound pessimistic, but things are not getting better for the average home or small business person. Technology should not be this difficult to maintain. The average person just wants something that will work, and stay working.
Source:
http://www.defendingthenet.com/newsletters/TenThingsToDoForAHealthyAndSecurePc.htm
---------------------
Many who read this article may find these recommendations to be old news. However, think about the number family, friends, and associates that ask you for help fixing their PC and I believe you will understand why I chose to write this article..
This list of recommendations for a healthy & secure PC is by no means a complete list of everything you can and should do. It is however a great start if you want to keep your computer running properly for an acceptable period of time. It will also help prevent some of the most common issues related to PC security.
1. Hard Drive Fragmentation
---------------------
Believe it or not, many people have never even heard of hard drive fragmentation, or the process of Defragmentation. In a nutshell, when you install software or create files and data, the Operating System stores this data on your hard disk drive. The most efficient way of storing this data would be in one continuous disk file. However, files are not always stored this way, or are initially stored this way and later become split up, or fragmented. Because of this, when the data or file is retrieved, the hard drive must be searched in multiple places just to combine data that makes up one file. This slows things down tremendously. If you are running Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you should perform a disk defrag at least once every two weeks, more if possible. All of my systems run this process automatically once every week in the evening hours.
2. Installing Games & Disk Intensive Software
---------------------
If you're a gamer, or regularly use disk intensive software, the above Defragmentation process will help. However, you can also take another step to make things move a little faster. If you have two physically separate disk drives in your system, I suggest that you use one primarily for the Operating System and related software, and devote the other physical disk for installing games and other disk intensive applications. This cuts down on the competition for disk resources between your Operating System and other applications. There are other things you could do as well, such as configuring the appropriate type of RAID where multiple disks appear to the operating system as one big logical disk drive. This takes a little more planning to get the most out of your drives so I'll cover that in a future article.
3. Virus & Spyware Protection
---------------------
The bottom line here is; make sure you have installed some sort of anti-virus and spyware protection. Furthermore, don't just assume that the default configuration of the program is best suited for your environment. For instance, I can't tell you how many people I know whose computer has contracted a serious virus because of just one minor but very important task. When the anti-virus software pops up a message and tells you that your subscription is about to expire, don't just hit the ignore button. Take a five minute break from what you are doing and renew your virus signature subscription. Not only will this keep you up to date on newer viruses, it will allow your software package to update to newer versions. The same thing goes for spyware protection. There are plenty of free spyware protection solutions out there, none are perfect, but most do the job. I suggest using Microsoft's AntiSpyware Beta package at the least.
4. Software & Hardware Firewall Protection
---------------------
If you are not using a firewall, then you are just asking for trouble. Actually, there is a significant chance that your system is already compromised if you have no firewall protection at all. Many cable/DSL router combo devices have built in firewall protection, and this is at least a good start. However, if you have Windows XP SP2, go ahead and enable the built in firewall as it will provide you another level of protection. Oh, yes, and when the system pops up a message about whether or not to allow a certain application or communication to take place, don't just hit the ok button, read it thoroughly then make a decision.
5. Installing & Uninstalling Applications
---------------------
Just about every time you install a new application or piece of software you increase the time it takes to boot your PC and in some cases decrease its performance. On thing that drives me crazy is printing software. For the life of me I cannot understand how or why printer support software could total 400MB in size, but they sometimes do. Not only that, they tend to load all kinds of unnecessary real-time running applets. HP printers are notorious for this. Be very aware of what it is you are loading and only load those components that you need. Even some off-the-shelf software packages load adware and other not so helpful applets. Also, when you uninstall software, not all the software gets uninstalled in many cases. One thing I suggest is to purchase a registry cleaner. This can dramatically decrease boot times and in many cases increase the overall performance of your PC.
6. Purchasing & Downloading Items On The Internet
---------------------
When you download or purchase any software from the Internet, make sure you pay close attention to everything you are agreeing to or checking off on the various pages that lead up to the final purchase or download. As with everything else, make sure you read the fine print. You may be agreeing to download and install something you don't need or may impact the security and performance of you PC. Also, how many more mailing lists do you really need to be on? How many Internet Explorer tool bars do you need? Most of these tool bars should be renamed to "adware / spyware bars"
7. Installing Operating System & Application Patches
---------------------
In a nutshell, if you are using Windows XP, make sure that automatic updates are turned on. This is very important. Microsoft releases security and bug fixes routinely and some of them are critical in nature. Something people tend to overlook is updating and patching their applications. For instance, Microsoft Office has critical security patches and performance enhancements available in the form of patches and service packs. It's not just Operating System bugs that can put you at risk, applications can too.
8. Updating Drivers
---------------------
Similar to the above, hardware manufacturers routinely update their drivers. This includes video cards, sounds cards, capture cards, system boards, you name it. Some manufacturers have started to release automatic updates for their hardware, but many have not. Make sure you check these sites regularly and when a driver update is available, install it.
9. What Do Your Children Download
---------------------
This is a really big one. I can' tell you how may times I have been told by people that they have no idea how something got installed on their computer. Usually their second sentence contains "one of my children must have downloaded it". The first thing that comes to mind is "why do parents let kids download what ever they like in the first place". Not only can this severely impact the security and performance of your computer, who knows what your kids are getting their hands on. Do you know what one of the most frequently installed application installs I see on a teenagers machine is? Kazaa, BearShare, eDonkey, all P2P file sharing programs. I don't care what anyone says regarding how convenient and safe these applications are now, they are wrong. Monitor what your children are doing / downloading on the Internet. Install a parental control software package if need be.
10. Rebuilding Your Operating System
---------------------
If you are not familiar with system imaging software, I suggest you read up on them. One of the most popular packages is "ghost" and it's been around for quite some time. I rebuild my systems pretty much on an annual basis. When I first configured them, I used an imaging package to create a complete image of the basic OS and application install. This allows you to not only re-install the base operating system and applications by hitting just one button, but can save you big time in the event of a system disaster.
Conclusion
---------------------
Many of my peers and other technical people will read this and say it's all common sense and very basic. Well, if this is what you do for a living then yes, it is. But many people don't know these things or did know about them and have forgotten. So many PC are in such bad shape and it's beyond me how the average person even deals with it. It has to be frustrating not knowing where to turn or what to do, especially if you don't have a tech friend or family member to call on. I hate to sound pessimistic, but things are not getting better for the average home or small business person. Technology should not be this difficult to maintain. The average person just wants something that will work, and stay working.
Source:
http://www.defendingthenet.com/newsletters/TenThingsToDoForAHealthyAndSecurePc.htm
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