July 16, 2004

Security issues seem to plague the world of computers more and more as time goes on.  Viruses have been a problem almost since the dawn of the Internet (see Adware/spyware, Viruses, and More on Viruses).  Now, we have to worry about handhelds and phones also getting infected.  Things are getting worse and it's time to remind everyone to get protected. 

How much protection is enough?  I don't have a complete answer for this question.  I think a lot of the answer depends on how you use your computer, what type of Internet connection you have and what new threats are appearing.  Dial-up connections used to be fairly secure (as long as you didn't have a virus), but now, that's changing too, so I'll give you a few suggestions.  I don't think you should be paranoid about security, but also, you shouldn't take it for granted. Sometimes a little extra effort is worth the security of knowing your computer and personal information is staying private. 

I used to treat dial-up connections differently.  This is because most people are on a dial-up connection for a small amount of time compared to people using high speed connections. Now, hackers and spyware are also using dial-up connections to access computers. There are a lot of sites where you can check your system vulnerability.  Some I like to use are DSL Reports, Audit My PC, and Sygate Technology.  These sites are good for checking to see if someone can access your computer through the Internet.  First of all, you MUST use an Antivirus program.  I prefer Norton Antivirus since it updates itself and pretty much does everything automatically.  I also suggest using Spybot once a week to make sure the adware and spyware problems are kept in check.  If you want to go the extra step, AdAware (click on AdAware Personal) is great for getting additional items.  Using these programs will assure that your computer is free from prying eyes and annoying ads.

If you have a broad band connection, either ADSL or Road Runner, there are a couple of things you need to know. With the DSL connection, you have a firewall built into the system in the way it works. With Road Runner, YOU NEED TO KNOW that you are vulnerable to many types of attack, so it is IMPERATIVE that you use either a software firewall, or use a router to protect yourself.  I personally use both. I've found that even though the Internet security checks indicate that your are stealth with a router, every once in a while you will see the software firewall catch an IP address trying to talk to your computer. 

There are a lot of software firewalls out there now, and Windows XP even has one built into it.  My suggestion is to use Zone Alarm. It's free and works great. The only disadvantage to using a software firewall is you have to train it what programs are allowed to access the Internet, but once it is done, it takes care of things. To sum things up, sometimes it is better to use a little extra protection so you can be sure your data and system are as safe as possible. It's a shame we have to resort to these methods but that's the price we pay for using the Internet.  The biggest problem I had a few years ago was trying to get people to use antivirus software and update the definitions.  Now that the software automatically updates itself, the biggest problem I have is people letting their update capability expire.  Don't let this happen to you.  When your antivirus program tells you it is time to renew your subscription, do it right away!

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