Tools for Online Security
80% of Americans use the internet
for research, shopping, business and personal communication, and business transactions.
The number of internet users is growing rapidly with more than 2 million new users
online each month.
As the internet becomes more popular with ordinary people,
the criminals have spotted another way to make a crooked profit.
Intruders and hackers are using the net to get people's personal information for their own use.
Computer security is critical in protecting your own identity and your company investment.
Without protection, you are exposing your assets and identity to the online world.
The following are tools you can use to protect your computer and identity:
1. Virus Protection – a virus can slow down your computer and damage your data.
A virus duplicates itself on systems, networks, and computer drives without user intervention.
Viruses are usually attached to files such as images or games or programs.
Another form of virus is called a Trojan Horse.
It will be hidden in a useful or desirable program.
When loaded onto your pc the trojan will corrupt your computer’s operating system, software and data files.
It may also report back to its owner all the websites that you visit and what you do there,
including your passwords, credit card details etc.
Virus protection is a service designed to keep viruses out of your computer.
It will automatically keep your anti-virus program up to date, and regularly check your programs and data for viruses.
It will look for, detect and remove any malicious application that it finds.
The most popular virus protection is from McAfee, Symantec, and Norton.
2. Spyware Protection – Spyware can be more dangerous than viruses.
While viruses will damage your system and data, spyware can damage your bank account.
Spyware can allow a hacker to use your computer, your credit card or even your identity.
Spyware can record the websites you visit, your keystrokes and your passwords.
Spyware is sometimes associated with adware that interrupts
your online activity with pop up windows advertising products and services.
Spyware protection is software that scans your computer detects and eliminates adware and spyware.
Rather than risk having spyware installed on your computer you
should protect yourself by not opening e-mail attachments from unknown senders
and not downloading programs from unknown websites.
3. Firewall – Like spyware and virus protection,
a firewall aims to keep your computer safe from hackers by preventing unauthorised access to your PC
from the internet or from a home or business network.
A firewall may be implemented as a software program on your pc,
a piece of hardware between your pc and the internet,
or as part of your computer’s operating system.
There are 3 kinds of firewall, as follows:
- Software firewall – this kind of firewall is produced by vendors such as
Symantec, McAfee and Norton. You can purchase your software firewall in retail stores
or by download from the vendor’s website.
- Operating system firewall – this is sometimes included as part of your computer operating system
(ex. Macintosh OS X, Microsoft windows XP, etc.)
- Gateway based firewall – is for broadband subscribers using home networks.
4. Phishing Protection –
Phishing works by using "social engineering" to convince the victim that they have received
an e-mail or an instant messages (IM) from a well known company or individual,
say a bank or other financial institution.
Once hooked, the internet users visits the phishing website or replies
to the email and gives out their password and billing information.
Anti phishing software allows the internet users
to successfully identify scam e-mails and IM
by displaying a warning when the scam website or email is opened.
As well as installing computer protection,
you can also protect your computer and your identity as follows:
1. Use passwords that are hard to guess, use a combination of random letters and numbers, mix upper and lowercase,
include special characters, dots hyphens etc.
Avoid using names, birthdays, school, or work place.
2. If your computer is infected with a virus,
unplug the phone line or broadband connection immediately and get help from your ISP or computer technician.
3. Ignore unsolicited e-mail messages.
Avoid clicking on links in email messages.
Do not open attachments and be cautious when visiting unknown websites.
Free on-line disinfection;
rid your computer of viruses, with Panda ActiveScan, the on-line antivirus:
You don't need to install any programs,
just connect to the Internet and simply click whenever you want to clean your computer.
It scans, disinfects and eliminates viruses from all parts of your system, hard disks,
compressed files and all your e-mail.
Updated at least once a day, so each scan will be able to detect the very latest viruses.
 Network Security: Private Communication in a Public World
Published: May 01, 2002 Hardcover
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Published: June 13, 2003 Paperback
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Published: June 27, 2002 Paperback
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