Security & Safety

Computer security is perhaps one of the most important, yet overlooked aspects of your personal safety and home security. Without the proper safeguards, an intruder can access the data saved on your computer or use your computer and Internet connection to attack other computers around the world. Keep in mind there's no such thing as a 100% foolproof solution to computer security, but taking these few simple steps can go a long way to discourage the majority of intruders.

Use an Anti-Virus program

Anti-virus programs scan files and programs for known viruses before you run or download those harmful files to your computer. The majority of anti-virus programs are capable of scanning your e-mail, Internet web sites, files on your computer, Instant Messaging attachments and network traffic. Choosing a good anti-virus program (most for sale are all very good) isn't as important as keeping the anti-virus program up-to date. Every day new viruses are created and, in turn, virus definitions are released to show your anti-virus program how to detect the new viruses. An out of date anti-virus program is almost as ineffective as not having an anti-virus scanner at all.

Use your computer's Firewall

A firewall is like a security guard for your computer. Much like a security guard will stop and either admit or deny your entrance into a building; a firewall will either admit or deny information's entrance into your computer from the Internet or your home network. There are several firewall programs available for sale, but Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 comes pre-installed with a basic, free firewall that is more than adequate for most home users.

Use common sense downloading files

Be wary opening e-mails and downloading files from the Internet. It is common practice for intruders to place a harmful virus or program inside a seemingly harmless file. Always have your anti-virus program enabled and up-to date before downloading anything from the Internet or your e-mail. Also, use common sense to inspect the e-mail or web site before you download anything. Look for typos, a strange web site/sender address, or anything else out of the ordinary.

Security Alerts

Always keep an eye on the latest security alerts published by The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) and several other computer security/virus detection authorities in the industry.