A Guide to Computer Security by
David McKone
As the number of people connecting to the Internet continues to increase at a
rapid pace, more and more of us are now creating our own home computer networks.
With these we can enjoy the benefits of having high bandwidth, instant access to
the Internet and make this connection available to multiple computers in and
around the home.
But for those unfamiliar with computer security, they are completely unaware of
the risks they may be exposing their computer to.
Without implementing a proper computer security solution, your computer may
become infected with viruses, spyware, and/or adware. These are all forms of
malware than can play a part in rendering a computer unusable, destroy valuable
information your storing, provide complete control of a computer to another
person, allow someone to steal the information on your computer, record your
keystrokes and give a 3rd party access to your online bank account, allow
someone to use your computer to attack a computer belonging to somebody else,
etc.
And if you opted for a wireless network, you could be sharing out your Internet
connection to your neighbors or that person who has been sitting outside your
house in the car for the last few hours. What is more, you are increasing the
risk of exposing your own computer to hackers as a result.
So What Are The Basics of Computer Security?
1. Make sure that the link between you and the Internet is safe. You need to
have a hardware firewall installed between you and the Internet. Most recent
devices that connect you to the Internet have one built in, but in any case you
need to make sure that what you have is a stateful firewall. It should give your
computer full access to the Internet, but block all traffic trying to access
your network when originated from the Internet side.
2. Secure your Internet router. Change the administrator password and if
possible the administrative account name as well. Everyone who has bought that
device will know what the default account and password is, so you must change
these and make them difficult to guess. This is especially important if you have
a wireless network.
3. Install anti-virus software on your computer. Make sure it scans the computer
for viruses at least once a week. Keep the software up to date and make sure
that the virus definitions are updated every day. Also make sure that this is
monitoring the computer all the time to help prevent it being infected in the
first place.
4. Install a personal firewall on your computer. Not only should this help limit
the damage malware can do to your computer, but it should also reduce the
chances of this spreading to other computers. Get in the habit of checking the
dialogues that you are prompted with and only allow Internet access to
applications that really need it
5. Install anti-spyware software on your computer. Make sure it fully scans your
computer for spyware at least every week. Keep the software up to date and make
sure that the definitions are updated every day. Also make sure that this
monitors your computer all the time.
6. Keep up to date with the security patches for your Operating System.
Microsoft release security updates for Windows every month. However, make sure
your computer is configured to automatically check for downloads every day and
at a time when your computer is most likely to be turned on.
7. Secure your wireless network. Do not broadcast your SSID (Service Set
IDentifier). Although it can be learned by someone who is determined, there is
no point making things easy. So make sure this is disabled. Restrict access to
your wireless network based on the MAC (Media Access Control) address of your
computer. Yes, these can be faked, once known, but why make things simple?
Implement WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) or WPA2, if you can, to further secure
your wireless network. And use a pre-shared key which is not easy to guess.
Conclusion Although, you can never make a computer 100% secure, the objective is
to put as many obstacles in the way and put off the casual hacker.
So by following these 7 basic steps you will have a more secure computing
environment.
And remember, by implementing proper computer security on our own computer, we
are making the Internet a safer place to surf for everyone.
About the Author: David
McKone has been involved with network security for several years, providing
secure networks for both small businesses and large corporate clients. Sign up
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absolutely free at
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Source of this article:
www.goarticles.com
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