Computer Security Plan
It's a good idea to have a plan for protecting your computer's security. Here is the thinking behind mine.
Email Accounts
I use a public account at Mail.com, where I have my lifetime email address (name@email.com). But I pay an annual feel to have all the mail sent there routed to my ISP (Internet Service Provider) email address, which very few people know. This way, I can automatically set up filters against email addresses I don't want contacting me, before their email has a chance to get near my machine.
So email to Sherry_Smith@mail.com could be routed to totallycool1978@cogeco.com without anyone every knowing her private email address.
Keep other public addresses (FunAngel@hotmail.com) for use when you have to have contact with people you don't know personally or internet friends, and Sherry_Smith@mail.com for people you do know or trust to a fair extent. That way, when you read your personal email, you will recognize spam more easily, and of course,
NEVER OPEN ATTACHMENTS IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHO IS SENDING THEM! Even then, be wise...do you need to read every attachment you get (I used to receive pictures of nearly naked men until I got it through the sender's head that I really did not like strange beefcake!)
Get A Firewall
If you don't have one, make a folder and call it 'Downloads'. Go to Download.com and get a free personal version of Sygate Personal Firewall. When it is installed, it will ask you permission for each program attempting to connect to the internet. Say 'no' if you don't recognize a program, and see what happens. You may find some spyware is running from your machine this way, and you may have to allow these programs for other programs to run.
Get A Spyware Stopper
Now go back to Download.com and download LavaSoft's AdAware. This program will get rid of all the spyware that has been loaded on to your machine, unbeknownst to you! You have to run this at least once a week if you surf the Web, and after downloading and installing any new programs. Some freebies won't work without these components, but there are some that will download reroutes to casino sites, put sites into your links you don't want children clicking on, and even download animated couples coupling when you open your browser. (No thanks...I just had an orange...)
Get AntiVirus
If you really cannot affort a big-name anti-virus package like Norton, there are two excellent free services, covered by people who understand the need for keeping the internet virus-free as possible. Go back to Download.com and download AVG AntiVirus or Avast! AntiVirus. My preference is Avast! That having been said, if your computer ever acts strange when you boot it, but you don't receive an immediate update from its database, close your computer and wait a day.
This could simply mean a new virus is loose and they need a little more time to create the patch that will find and fix it before it does any damage to your PC. Trust me, this is much better than getting a virus like the My Doom that came out last January. I had to reformat my hard drive, and having to do that is not easy for non-techies, and is time-consuming.
Make Backups!
At some point in your life, you will probably have to have your hard drive reformatted. This is a pain, but sometimes necessary. What makes this easier is good backups. I back up my accounting program frequently. Every six months, I burn two CDs. One is all the programs I use (including the download file), and another is all my documents. If you burn a lot of music, you may want to make a third.
In one of those documents should be all the registration numbers and instructions for registration when I re-register the progams after reinstalling them. You can create such a document in Word, NotePad, or Excel. If you don't do this on your PC, keep this information handy in a notebook designated for this (and all computer notations you want to keep...like this post!
Plan on two days' worth of work if you have to reformat the hard drive (search Google for instructions) or between $45 and $100 to have a reputable computer store do it for you. Have your CDs handy, and reinstall your programs in the sequence of importance (operating system, firewall, antivirus, email programs, etc.).
If you don't have a CD burner on your machine, you won't be able to reinstall your programs this way, so the site addresses and registration numbers will come in very handy. If you have to take your machine into the shop, take all your installation disks with you so the techie there can reinstall your programs for you.
And back-up your document files onto diskettes.
If you need further help try using Google's search engine. There are many sites that offer detailed step-by-step instructions for working your way through problems.
Email Accounts
I use a public account at Mail.com, where I have my lifetime email address (name@email.com). But I pay an annual feel to have all the mail sent there routed to my ISP (Internet Service Provider) email address, which very few people know. This way, I can automatically set up filters against email addresses I don't want contacting me, before their email has a chance to get near my machine.
So email to Sherry_Smith@mail.com could be routed to totallycool1978@cogeco.com without anyone every knowing her private email address.
Keep other public addresses (FunAngel@hotmail.com) for use when you have to have contact with people you don't know personally or internet friends, and Sherry_Smith@mail.com for people you do know or trust to a fair extent. That way, when you read your personal email, you will recognize spam more easily, and of course,
NEVER OPEN ATTACHMENTS IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHO IS SENDING THEM! Even then, be wise...do you need to read every attachment you get (I used to receive pictures of nearly naked men until I got it through the sender's head that I really did not like strange beefcake!)
Get A Firewall
If you don't have one, make a folder and call it 'Downloads'. Go to Download.com and get a free personal version of Sygate Personal Firewall. When it is installed, it will ask you permission for each program attempting to connect to the internet. Say 'no' if you don't recognize a program, and see what happens. You may find some spyware is running from your machine this way, and you may have to allow these programs for other programs to run.
Get A Spyware Stopper
Now go back to Download.com and download LavaSoft's AdAware. This program will get rid of all the spyware that has been loaded on to your machine, unbeknownst to you! You have to run this at least once a week if you surf the Web, and after downloading and installing any new programs. Some freebies won't work without these components, but there are some that will download reroutes to casino sites, put sites into your links you don't want children clicking on, and even download animated couples coupling when you open your browser. (No thanks...I just had an orange...)
Get AntiVirus
If you really cannot affort a big-name anti-virus package like Norton, there are two excellent free services, covered by people who understand the need for keeping the internet virus-free as possible. Go back to Download.com and download AVG AntiVirus or Avast! AntiVirus. My preference is Avast! That having been said, if your computer ever acts strange when you boot it, but you don't receive an immediate update from its database, close your computer and wait a day.
This could simply mean a new virus is loose and they need a little more time to create the patch that will find and fix it before it does any damage to your PC. Trust me, this is much better than getting a virus like the My Doom that came out last January. I had to reformat my hard drive, and having to do that is not easy for non-techies, and is time-consuming.
Make Backups!
At some point in your life, you will probably have to have your hard drive reformatted. This is a pain, but sometimes necessary. What makes this easier is good backups. I back up my accounting program frequently. Every six months, I burn two CDs. One is all the programs I use (including the download file), and another is all my documents. If you burn a lot of music, you may want to make a third.
In one of those documents should be all the registration numbers and instructions for registration when I re-register the progams after reinstalling them. You can create such a document in Word, NotePad, or Excel. If you don't do this on your PC, keep this information handy in a notebook designated for this (and all computer notations you want to keep...like this post!
Plan on two days' worth of work if you have to reformat the hard drive (search Google for instructions) or between $45 and $100 to have a reputable computer store do it for you. Have your CDs handy, and reinstall your programs in the sequence of importance (operating system, firewall, antivirus, email programs, etc.).
If you don't have a CD burner on your machine, you won't be able to reinstall your programs this way, so the site addresses and registration numbers will come in very handy. If you have to take your machine into the shop, take all your installation disks with you so the techie there can reinstall your programs for you.
And back-up your document files onto diskettes.
If you need further help try using Google's search engine. There are many sites that offer detailed step-by-step instructions for working your way through problems.
posted by Shucky at 1:29 AM
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