NEWS you can USE!
1.
Install Anti-Malware Software - If your reason for not installing anti-virus software is because
it’s too expensive, there are
several free anti-virus programs out there that are considered better than
commercial software packages.
2.
Update All Software - Make sure your anti-malware program is
set to update automatically so that you don’t have to rely on your memory to do
it. Also, this goes for all the software on your computer. The most important
software to keep up to date is your Windows Operating System. It is essential to
have Automatic Updates turned on and set to download and install updates
automatically.
3.
Install only Trusted Software - Install software from big names
sites only, such as www.microsoft.com, www.download.com or www.adobe.com.
4.
Avoid P2P (Peer to Peer) File Sharing Software – (If possible
avoid bittorrent, kazaa, limewire, facebook & my space) You might end up
downloading a song or picture that has a keystroke logger attached to it that
will send anything you type to some other computer over the Internet. It’s
almost impossible to tell that this is occurring unless your anti-malware
programs pick it up in their scans.
5.
Delete Unknown Emails – If you receive e-mails from random people’s
names, do not bother to open the email, just delete it. If you have any doubts
after reading the name and the subject, it’s probably not someone you know.
Never download or open attachments unless you are sure it’s from someone you
know. Give the person a call and ask them if you’re not sure. Most large
companies that you create online accounts with will not send you attachments
unless you specifically ask for them through their web site. Also, be wary of
any emails from sites pretending to be banks, auction sites, etc asking you
to verify bank account info or address info. No bank ever does that.
6.
Do not click on Ads - Avoid clicking on ads & coupon savings
pop-ups if you can. Especially those ads where something is flying around and if
you shoot the duck, you win some prize! Ads have become more sophisticated in
that they try to make the ad interactive so that you’ll be tempted to play it
like a game.
7.
Run Malware Scans Regularly – If you’re not in the mood to scan
every day, at least run a scan once a week. Actually, setup a schedule for your
computer in your anti-virus software to run a scan late at night or whenever you
don’t use your computer and that way you won’t be bothered with a slow computer.
8.
Be careful what you attach to your computer – This is a more
common way to transfer malware than you might think. Everyone now has a USB
flash stick that they carry around on their key chains, ready to snap into any
computer. But who knows what malware are on your friends computers and what
accidentally got transferred to their USB stick. A lot of malware programs will
auto launch right when the USB stick is put into the computer, so you don’t even
have to open or download any of the files to be infected.
9.
Avoid Shady Web Sites – Avoid going to shady web sites,
intentionally or unintentionally!
www.googgle.com is a lot different than www.google.com.
10. Turn On or Install a Firewall - If you’re running Windows,
make sure Windows Firewall is turned on. A firewall prevents hackers from
gaining access to your computer by limiting the number of ports that are open to
the public. Also, when buying a wireless router or wired router, make sure it
has a built in firewall. Having a software and hardware firewall is better than
just having one or the other.
11. Do NOT use a Wireless Network – If you must use a wireless
network then secure it. Most
wireless routers are set to no security when you install them. Be sure to log
into the router and change the default password. Setup strong encryption and MAC
address filtering. Otherwise anyone can connect to your home or work
network and access everything.
12. Use a Complex Password for Login – This means that you
should already have a password to login to your computer. Not having a password
at all is not a good idea. Create a password for all user accounts and make sure
it’s complex. Complex means it should have numbers, upper case characters, lower
case characters, and symbols. This makes it ore difficult for a hacker to
get into your computer.
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