As a home computer user accessing the Internet, whether through a
broadband connection or traditional dial-up, you should do the following
three things at a minimum to protect your compute:
Install and maintain anti-virus software. There are plenty of
great anti-virus software packages available. This software checks for
known viruses by scanning your computer periodically. Most will also
check for viruses on incoming email. It is important to update the
software as well though.
New viruses are discovered almost daily. At least once a week you should
check the web site of the vendor that makes your anti-virus software to
see if there is an update available.
Do not open unknown or suspicious email. Many
viruses and worms use what is called “social engineering”. That is, they
attempt to trick you into becoming a participant in the process. The
latest viruses can “spoof” the sending email address so that it looks
like it is coming from someone other than the computer that infected it.
If an email is not from someone you know, it is usually best to simply
delete it without looking at it. If the email appears to be from someone
you know, you should read the message carefully before opening any
attached files. Viruses and worms often have bad English and poor
grammar. Consider whether the person you know would really have written
that message or forwarded you the attached file. If in doubt, contact
that person you know to confirm they truly sent it before opening the
attachment.
Keep your computer patched against known vulnerabilities.
Almost as often as new viruses are discovered, new vulnerabilities are
discovered as well. Many times they are in the operating system (like
Windows), but vulnerabilities are also found in tools like your web
browser, email software and other 3rd party tools. Left unpatched, these
vulnerabilities can be exploited by hackers to obtain access and
control of your computer.
Staying up to date can be difficult. Some vendors, such as Microsoft,
have automated utilities that check for updates and notify you. Other
vendors may have an email mailing list you can join so they can notify
you of any new updates. If your vendor doesn’t offer one of these
solutions, you may just need to periodically visit their support web
site to check for any new patches or updates.
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